


Offerings

by CatofApocalypse, OKami_hu



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Crowley has Dyspareunia, Dead People, Egg Laying, Fanart, Hand Jobs, He/Him Pronouns For Aziraphale (Good Omens), Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Masturbation, Mermaids, Merperson Crowley, Mildly Dubious Consent, Octopus Aziraphale, Oral Sex, Other, Oviposition, Shapeshifting, Suicidal Thoughts, They/Them Pronouns for Crowley (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:07:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 33,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24356293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatofApocalypse/pseuds/CatofApocalypse, https://archiveofourown.org/users/OKami_hu/pseuds/OKami_hu
Summary: The seas are vast and some of its many creatures are not what they seem to be. Some of them are more powerful than others. A mer-god's wishes should not be ignored. A very reluctant Crawly gets caught up in the ritual, though as it turns out, it won't cost them their life - it might even grant them with a new one.Each chapter has an accompanying cover art, be warned.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 140
Kudos: 264
Collections: Courts GO Re-Reads, Gather Ye Sinners for GOmens RP Collection





	1. Chapter 1 Cover

**Author's Note:**

> It started with 'let's write tentacle porn'. 8 chapters later...
> 
> Many thanks to our betas, pastelpenguin, purrplekat1989 & Dacelin!

Lineart by [CatofApocalypse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatofApocalypse/pseuds/CatofApocalypse), coloring by [OKami_hu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OKami_hu)


	2. Chapter 1

“The sea is our mother, the sea is our father, it is our home, our cradle, our grave. It is our garden, it is our altar, we are its children, strong, fierce and brave.”

The chorus accompanied the chanting, the sound creating strange echoes in the enormous cave. The light of the fluorescent creatures crawling over the walls was barely enough to see; everyone was cast in shadow save for the single figure in the middle. The slender creature was decked in fine jewelry, long hair swaying with the faint currents; and from their wiggling, as they were bound to a slender pillar

The small, wild-haired figure leading the chant faced the opening at the cave’s back and opened her arms.

“Hear us, Aziraphale, Guardian of the Eastern Waters! You have kept us in good health and prosperity, we are in your debt as were our ancestors and as the generations to come also will be. You have asked for a sacrifice and we grant your wish: here is an _ichtysia_ , one of us, that is now yours. Take them into your grace and in exchange of their warmth, please continue to bestow your blessings upon us.”

The chorus started up again, singing a funeral song; they were not expecting to ever see their chosen kin again. The attendants filed out one by one, leaving only two singers and the High Priest. 

The latter swam up to the middle and leaned closer to the sacrifice. 

“Behave yourself. Aziraphale is a just and kind god; consider yourself lucky that you can do something for him.”

The ‘sacrifice’ turned their face away, though their bright amber eyes with slit pupils were still glaring intensely at the other itchtysia.

"If it's so much of an honor, why didn't you offer yourself up?" they sneered in response. 

"We've gone through this, Crawly,” she said, unimpressed. “I am the High Priest, the Voice of God. Without me, who is going to decipher the Lords’ words?" She tipped her chin up, crimson eyes regarding Crawly coolly. 

"Trust me, there is none in this land who wouldn't fight to be in your place right now. You have seen how much they supported you. We all want to give you a chance, Crawly. A chance to maybe, for once in your life, make yourself useful."

Her smile was icy and despite her diminutive size, she managed to radiate power. Her dainty hand came to rest on the bound ichtysia’s shoulder.

"We believe in you, Crawly. You will bring us prosperity and protection for generations to come. That is more than you could have ever hoped to achieve."

Crawly's long, scaled tail twisted under them. They had to hold themself back from taking a bite out of the wretched hag’s face, knowing that wouldn't achieve anything. Her words made Crawly sick in the stomach. She had been going on about how they were doing Crawly a tremendous favor, saving their miserable life by giving them a purpose.

Crawly didn't need _a purpose_. They just bloody wanted to be left alone. 

They saw through all the facades. They knew what was going on in their scheming minds. The others weren't as discreet as they thought they were; none of them wanted to figure out what _exactly_ Aziraphale intended to do with the chosen one. Naturally, they looked for a disposable offering, someone they wouldn't miss. The thought filled Crawly's being with unbridled rage.

"You're just cowards," they snapped at the smug face before them. "All of you are. And that God of yours isn’t any better. He's just as much of a monster as you are, if he's just protecting the sorry lot of you only because he sees you as some snack to be feasted on whenever the fancy strikes him!"

They couldn’t hold back a yelp when a sudden, sharp pain seared through them. 

"Blasphemy." The priest glared, one hand raised after delivering a furious slap that had whipped Crawly’s face to the side.The funeral song died down, the singers distracted by what was happening. 

Crawly grimaced, moving their jaw open and closed to see if anything was broken, then side-eyed the hag.

"Now you've done it," they taunted with a grin. "You damaged the goods."

"Oh shut up,” the High Priest rolled her eyes. “Stop being a brat and just lie still.”

Of course, Crawly did not stop. "I hope I will taste fucking awful. Maybe then you’d have to offer another, hm? Opening up the chance for all you eager merfolks? Or perhaps Aziraphale will just wipe you all off the seafloor. It’ll all be your fault, _high priest_. Oh but you know what? I hope your fucking God, if he exists at all, dies choking on my-"

"Silence!" the Priest snapped, gripping the hair at the back of Crawly's head. She smirked when she heard the sacrifice groan in pain.

"You think too highly of yourself. I suppose rightfully so. After all, this is the first time you have ever been wanted. You have my sympathy." Her whisper was eerily soothing, yet gave the impression like she was moments away from snapping the balky mercreature’s neck. She released Crawly’s hair roughly and pushed herself away with a flick of her dark betta tail. “Thus, I forgive you, Crawly. I forgive your ungrateful, blasphemous mouth. For soon our Lord shall decide upon your fate, and that’d be more than what you ever deserved.”

She jerked her chin toward the singers. They promptly swam after her, and with that, Crawly was left alone to fulfil their decided destiny.

The quiet that settled over the cave was eerie. Only the faintest currents could be felt in the water; even the ocean's constant murmur was dimmed by thick walls and depth. The place had been dedicated to worship in ancient times, this was where the ichtysia revered their god, the mighty Aziraphale. The mysterious deity was there to watch over them since eons now, but he seldom asked for anything aside heartfelt prayers, and a regular offering of food. This request for living flesh was puzzling, but the High Priest had been eager to deliver, probably terrified of losing the blessings of a supernatural protector. The sea was merciless, it took as much as it gave, and, in the colder waters, monstrosities lurked that preyed on warm flesh. 

Crawly was so lost in their thoughts that they didn't notice the changes at first - the rising temperature, the faint hum reverberating in the water. When a light brightened the far end of the cave, it was already too late for plans of escape. 

Right before their wide eyes, a deity entered the dimly lit chamber. Aziraphale looked deceptively small, definitely not much larger than an average ichtysia and the upper and middle parts of his body seemed soft and pale; but below his hipbones, he was as monstrous as some of the predators out there. Instead of a sleek tail, he had arms- or legs, or whatever, much like an octopus. The coloration, while bright, didn't help the image - his pearly flesh merged into golden scales and the impressive arms were dotted with eye-like, brilliant blue spots. His real eyes were the same, intense and glowing, strange flames flickering in their azure depths. The water hummed around him with power as he swam closer, strong tentacles propelling him forward while his back remained straight. He came to a halt a mere half a lunge from Crawly, elegantly folding his hands and measuring the 'fortunate' ichtysia from top to tailfin. 

"You are beautiful," he said; his voice was pleasant but it had an undeniably magical quality to it. "I'm pleased. Your people have done me a great service." He moved closer. " _You_ are doing me a great service."

It took Crawly a while to comprehend that this was the ‘God’ everyone had been talking about. The being before them was the complete opposite of what they imagined Aziraphale to look like the whole time they were alone in the dark cave. Something monstrous, they had guessed. Sharp baring teeth, tentacles with skin-piercing spikes underneath, or at least something ridiculously large. Definitely not a soft, gentle looking entity.

But then again, looks could be deceiving.

Crawly tried to twist their hands free from the rope around their wrists in the last desperate attempt to free themself. No luck. It was made from the finest fiber there was in the land. They lifted their head when the deity spoke, strands of wavy red hair partially obscuring their face.

Normally Crawly couldn’t be stopped from quipping. The other ichtysia weren’t fans of that. But at this moment, words abandoned them as they stared into Aziraphale’s gorgeous blue eyes. They couldn’t believe they actually were capable of thinking about this right now.

The god moved closer and the sacrifice instinctively coiled their tail around the pole they were tied to. Their body pressed back, wishing they could merge into the background.

 _Service? What service? Were they going to be consumed now?_

"Do not be afraid," Aziraphale soothed. "I- regret that it has come to this but I'll be quick. I do not wish for you to be in pain." He moved even closer, frowning at the restraints. "Why was this necessary…? Stay still, please." He lifted his hand and his blunt nails lengthened into sharp claws. 

Crawly's breath hitched. They didn't want to die yet. They were still too young by ichtysia standards. Even if their whole life had been nothing but misery and loneliness. Even if they truly had no goals in life, nothing to look forward to in their future, they still wanted to live.

They watched in horror as those claws drew back then swiped down-

Severing the rope binding them. 

Crawly's air left them in a gush, creating a surge of bubbles from the gills on their neck and nose.

"There we go," Aziraphale smiled. "Now you can come with me. I don't know if they still tell the young ones that I live at the end of this tunnel… My palace is a rather pleasant hideaway, you'll be more comfortable there. Let me hold you, I'll get us there faster. I'd- uh, l'd like to finally be able to relax." He eyed Crawly. "You can relax, too. I'm not going to- pfft, _eat you_ or something."

The released ichtysia massaged their wrists, still breathing fast from the anxiety. What was the meaning of this? Did Aziraphale want to toy with their meal? Why did he release- Crawly's head lifted sharply at what he was hearing.

"P...palace?" they frowned then folded their thin lips. At this point, they still weren't sure whether to take this deity's words as a joke or not. At least, Crawly had found their voice back.

"Listen, I know you are… mighty. Having standards 'n all. But really I don't think it will make any difference eating me in your palace," they stammered and backed away from Aziraphale. Should they just… bolt out of here? This God didn't look to be all that fast?

“Haven’t I just said-” Aziraphale frowned. “Wait, you seriously think-” the barely noticeable single gills at the base of his neck flared and the color of his eyes and blue spots began to rapidly fade. “Who insinuated that I crave the living flesh of my chosen people?! What sort of barbaric-” He gritted his teeth - were they this sharp before-? - flexed his hands and Crawly could see the water moving around his gills, the merfolk’s way to taking deep, calming breaths. 

“I'm fine, I’m fine,” Aziraphale murmured, probably more to himself than Crawly. “The High Priests have a history with this. I’m calm.” Finally, he looked directly at the anxious ichtisya, holding up a hand. “No, I’m not going to eat you, I require something entirely different. Once you have fulfilled your purpose, I will let you back to your people unharmed. I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a monster.” Curious, he looked a touch uncertain as he said that. It only lasted for a moment though. Aziraphale did not move, aside from extending a hand towards Crawly. 

“It’s all right. I promise not to harm you, I just require your presence in my home for a while. That is all. Don’t worry, but please, let us make haste. The matter is urgent. Let me carry you.”

Crawly gave the half octopus deity a skeptical look. Aziraphale didn't look like a monster, yes. At the very least, he was far different from the actual monsters lurking out there. He appeared kind and, so far, friendly. However, the mysterious nature of the god’s request did nothing but add to Crawly’s nervousness.

 _‘Why does it matter? I’m a lost cause anyway…’_ thought Crawly. If they declined, the deity might end up snacking on them for real.

Carefully, Crawly moved closer. They lifted a hand to hold Aziraphale’s. Upon contact, they were surprised by how warm the god’s palm felt. Warmth was a rare thing when one lived far away from the surface.

Crawly loved the surface. They would risk themself swimming out of their village alone anyday, just for a few hours of sprawling on a rock, bathing in the warmth from that glowing orb in the sky. Their skin had turned a darker shade of blue in comparison to the other villagers’ because of it. Sometimes, Crawly emerged and found the heat was gone, replaced by lots and lots of bright shining dots. No one knew what those were, but Crawly thought they were beautiful. They could look at the twinkling lights for hours until they faded away.

The heat radiating from Aziraphale at this moment reminded them of that little joy in their life. It was soothing. Crawly sighed, blowing tiny bubbles from their nose. Would they ever be able to visit the surface again after this?

Aziraphale drew them into a loose embrace, one thick arm curling around Crawly’s shoulders, the other right below their flank, pulling them against the soft planes of his chest. At such proximity, his warmth was even more intense. He smiled at Crawly, then tightened his hold and launched forward, speeding down the tunnel. 

He might not have looked like it, but he was obviously strong; his tentacles propelled him with ease and he was so fast, Crawly’s hair was floating after them in the current. 

At places, the caves they crossed were rough and natural; elsewhere the walls were carved with ancient symbols. Now and again they breached shimmering, intangible barriers that left Crawly’s skin tingling. 

They also noticed a few changes about the god - Aziraphale's pearly white skin flushed to the pink of delicate shells, and the edges of his gills swelled. The gold of his lower body darkened, making the blue spots stand out even more. By the time they arrived, he was flustered and restless. 

The palace's entrance was tall and impressive, but Crawly couldn’t quite take a good look at it. Neither could they make out many details about the interior, but they were left with the impression that it was more lavish than anything they had seen in their life. 

The hurried journey ended in a cozy room. Aziraphale gently deposited Crawly on a luxurious, seaweed-lined nest and leaned above them, chest heaving. 

"I'm sorry," he gasped. "I'd do this properly but it hurts to hold back- Relax and don't worry, it'll be over swiftly. It'll probably feel weird but it shouldn't hurt at all. Or maybe a little bit; bear with me, I promise to make up for it later." He reached between them and brushed Crawly’s frontal fin aside, warm fingers briefly tracing their cloaca; then his strong legs wrapped around their hips and Crawly could feel something prodding their opening. 

They had been overwhelmed by the heat coming from Aziraphale. It felt incredibly calming, almost sedative. Crawly began to think it wasn’t so bad like they had expected; but then the sudden touch under their fin snapped them out of the daze.

“Wha-” they gasped, tail writhing under the god’s weight. “W-What are you-Ahh…”

The ichtysia mewled at the touch to their mating hole. It had been so long since Crawly had had that place touched. The sensation made them cling to Aziraphale in surprise, whimpering, body twisting in anticipation. And yet there was a rising dread that cast a shadow over the pleasant experience. Color drained from their face and Crawly tried to move away from the deity’s grasp. Aziraphale’s grip only tightened around their waist, determined to keep them in place.

“W-wait… W-what are you d-doing?” Crawly started panting with their gills, voice breaking.

Aziraphale didn't answer right away; his mouth was busy mapping out Crawly’s neck. His tongue traced their gills, while the firm tentacles began to roam over their lithe form, expertly finding all the spots where most ichtysia were sensitive. 

"I-" Aziraphale moaned. "I, ah, I need to lay my eggs- please don't make me explain-" He frowned in concentration, and Crawly could feel something breaching their body. It had to be thin because it didn't hurt - yet. 

Aziraphale heaved a relieved sigh. "Ah yes… I found you. Now let me- You lay your unseeded eggs from time to time, these aren't much bigger but I can make it easier." Warmth blossomed in Crawly’s channel; the god probably poured something inside them. 

"Just hold on to me and let it happen," the deity smiled. "If you feel like it, you can touch me, I'd be glad if you could find your own pleasure, but I intend to give you more regardless." He caressed Crawly’s face with a fond look. "You are so very beautiful. I'm glad that you volunteered."

The pressure in Crawly’s channel intensified; Aziraphale slipped in deeper and deeper. 

Everything was happening fast. _Much too fast_. Crawly attempted to twist and turn their tail to no avail. The tentacles were holding them firmly to the nest. They touched Crawly everywhere, slithering into places they liked to be touched the most. 

"Volun...teered…? I… Hah!" That _thing_ , whatever had slipped inside them, spreading warmth all over their insides, stole Crawly's breath away. In the next moment though, it dawned upon them what Aziraphale meant. He was going to put his offsprings inside them. The only way to do it would be to- No! NO!

Crawly was horrified by the idea of copulating. There was a reason why they were ignored by their people: they weren't the same as the rest of them. Every time they tried to mate, it ended in disaster. Just thinking about the act was suffocating. 

Something was stretching them further. Crawly could feel it. This only fueled their panic even more. "P-Please… Azi..ahh...ra….phale… " The ichtysia breathed heavily. It felt as though there were boulders on their chest. They wanted to shout to the god that this wasn't voluntary, that this was terrifying, that they wanted nothing more than to be freed right now. Unfortunately, they couldn't form a sentence that wasn't cracked with their own groaning and panting.

He might have been a god, but Aziraphale didn’t notice the distress, or possibly mistook it for pleasure. His mouth kept devouring Crawly’s neck, his thumb traced the long ichtysia ear.

“Hush my dear,” he murmured. “Oh, you feel so good. So very good. It’s been so long. Let me try to make it better for you.” His chuckle sounded genuine; he probably meant that. 

However, when the long, thin organ he had inserted into Crawly’s channel _expanded_ and rippled, it brought nothing but excruciating pain.

“AAAGHH!” Crawly’s fingers dug into Aziraphale’s chest. Their whole body arched and tightened, making it even worse. They tried to push the god away, only to groan loudly because the slightest movement of the thing inside them felt like their walls were tearing apart. “Please… S-stop…“ Crawly begged through gritted teeth. 

“W-what-?” Aziraphale blinked, alarmed now. “I can’t- I haven’t done anything, this is not supposed to hurt!” His body began to tremble subtly. “Are you- injured? Or maybe unseeded?” His voice dropped to a desperate whisper. “Please don’t ask me to stop…!”

Crawly continued making pained cries, eventually slumping down on their back. Their chest heaved. Breathing was still difficult. Their heart kept on thumping rapidly. The ichtysia gave up on the thrashing, knowing it was doing more harm than good.

“Please… I don’t… I never wanted…” sobbed Crawly, looking into Aziraphale’s eyes with his pleading whimpers. “It hurts… Alwaysss...”

Aziraphale gritted his teeth and Crawly could behold very clearly how they began to change, from harmless to actual, jagged fangs.

“Rrright.” The god’s shoulders pinched together and he relinquished his hold on the slender body beneath him. “For the love of- Nnh!” He threw his head back and gasped. The agonizing pressure inside Crawly lessened and they could feel Aziraphale pulling out.

He also continued to change; his golden legs darkened further while the blue spots brightened until they literally glowed. The flushed pearly skin dulled to ash gray. Aziraphale hunched forward, his forehead brushing against Crawly’s belly; his form began to expand, softness replaced by steely muscle. When he arched back with a blood-curdling howl, spikes sprang from his spine and shoulders. 

He scrambled off Crawly, into a corner, where he huddled down, shaking and groaning and by now looking quite like the sea monsters prowling the dark waters. He glanced at the ichtysia with three eyes - the third opened up on the middle of his forehead - and growled.

“Out.” His voice was just as powerful, if not more so, but deeper, raspier. He pointed towards the door with a trembling hand. “OUT!”

Crawly was propping themself up with their elbows to watch Aziraphale. For a moment they forgot about the stinging pain that was still wrenching their insides. The sudden changes of the god left them speechless. They only snapped out of it when Aziraphale gave the command.

It would have been idiotic to stay. Thus, the ichtysia simply bolted. Crawly had always been a fast swimmer. They made it to the end of the hallway in no time but then stopped.

There was an intersection.

Crawly looked left and right. Which were they supposed to take?

Thankfully, once they finally stood still, their senses began to pick up the minute signals, like faint scents, visuals, sounds… The latter weren’t so subtle. The god’s pained howling echoed through the corridors, making Crawly cringe. 

The water to the left felt fresher, and there was a very faint scent of plants. Maybe the corridor led outside, and- maybe- Well, they were ordered _out_ , weren’t they?

Crawly winced as they turned to the left corridor. They began to massage their lower belly as they swam; the pain was coming back now that the shock from seeing Aziraphale’s changes had passed. At least they weren’t bleeding. The god didn’t force himself out the same way the other merfolks Crawly had tried to copulate with before had. Still, it hurt so badly.

The path led them to an open area. Crawly’s mouth gaped open in awe. They could see marine life thriving just outside, schools of small fishes swimming about. The seafloor was filled with hundreds of plants, from seaweed to beautiful corals. The ichtysia loved plants. They actually had their own little farm back home, though much less impressive. ‘ _What a shame,’_ Crawly thought. They needed to get far away from here, no matter how pretty Aziraphale’s garden was.

They lunged forward, aiming for the open space that would lead to freedom. Or should have. They soon hit something like a barrier. It wasn’t solid like stone, more like flesh; it had a bit of a give, but it was still impenetrable. The harder they tried to push, the stronger they were repelled.

“This is… fucking… ridiculous…” cursed Crawly in frustration. “No.. no...nonono,” they wept, punching at the barrier. They were _so close_ to getting out! The fishes outside looked like they were mocking them. Bastards. All of them!

In their fury, Crawly took out their frustration on the grass, ripping and throwing it about, while shouting all the worst curses they could think of until they were too tired to speak. Eventually, the ichtysia slumped to the seaweed bedding, clawing at the invisible wall.

“Why does it have to be me? Why?” Crawly curled up in their misery, wrapping their arms around their belly and their shoulders shook with their hitching breath. 

=======

They had no idea how much time passed - time, as such, had little meaning below the surface anyway. Eventually, the screams died down, and silence settled over the palace and its grounds. 

Crawly was startled out of their reverie by a soft sound; when they looked up, Aziraphale was floating at a respectable distance, head bowed, hands folded in front of him. He was back to his gentler form, though his blue spots were fainter, and his pearly skin pallid.

“I thought I’d find you here,” he spoke softly. “I’m sorry you had to witness that.” He sighed. “I also promised not to hurt you, and I broke that promise. I apologize.” He bowed to Crawly. “May I come closer? If you have questions, I’ll answer them.”

The ichtysia pushed themself to a sitting position. There was fear in their eyes for a moment. They didn't know what had happened to the god, nor if he had truly calmed down. Though, it was a brief second of doubt because, if Aziraphale had wanted to eat them for denying the copulation, the god would have done so already.

Crawly's eyes narrowed, and they inhaled deeply. "Can I leave?" they asked, their voice cold and hoarse. 

“Certainly,” Aziraphale nodded. “I need someone who can carry my eggs, and you, um, apparently aren’t the best suited candidate for that. I have no reason to keep you here, away from your people.” He made a face. “Maybe I’ll just grab the High Priest instead.” He inched closer. 

“I’ll take you back to the village as soon as I have replenished my strength. Until then, you’re my guest. It won’t take long, don’t worry.” His hands twisted together. “Are you still in pain…?”

Crawly's hand subconsciously moved to stroke the soft skin above their frontal fin. The pain had subsided, only a faint uncomfortable sensation remained. 

"Kind of..." they sighed. "It'll go away…"

The ichtysia folded their tail so they could wrap their arms around it. "About the village… You don't have to take me there," Crawly muttered. "They don't want me anyway…"

“I suppose I could drop you off elsewhere, but- what are you going to do on your own?” Aziraphale came a little closer again. “Ichtysia live in packs, to keep each other safe. The waters are dangerous. There are monsters lurking everywhere… I should know.” He sounded bitter. 

“They don’t want you because you can’t mate, right? And you didn’t volunteer.”

“Of course I didn’t. Fucking bastards just snatched me up,” Crawly pursed his lips, looking away at their tail fin. “Said you wanted a sacrifice or whatever, thought you wanted food.” They shifted uncomfortably. The fresh memory of being captured and bound was vivid. The pain on their wrists where the rope rubbed them red made them anxious. Crawly chuckled darkly. “And what’s a better use for a waste of air like me, right? I’m such a spare. What _is_ even my purpose? Let’s be honest, if you had eaten me it would have been fine. Once I’m out I’d probably just offer myself to be monster snacks anyway. Why shouldn’t I? No one cares. They probably are celebrating right now,” the distressed ichtysia rambled. Their voice started trembling as they idly scratched at their arm, then dropped their forehead on their folded tail.

A warm hand came to rest on their shoulders. “Don’t speak like that!” Aziraphale bristled. “You are not worthless. Just because you can’t create life doesn’t mean that you can’t nurture it. You are not born for a purpose, you acquire it by choice. You have seen… what I used to be. And you know what I am now. A flaw like that should not hold you back.” He carefully brushed the back of his fingers against Crawly’s cheek. 

“You are a lovely creature. If you have truly nowhere to go- and you agree, then… I suppose you could stay here. I’ll still need someone to cater to my needs, but that’s not so urgent now. You can spend some time here, still as a guest, think it over. How about that?”

Crawly slowly lifted their face. Aziraphale’s words were just as warm as his whole being. Like the last glimmer of hope they could cling on to. Something in their chest stung in a pleasant way. Aziraphale was so kind. The gentle touches made their lonely heart swell. The ichtysia wanted to hold onto him, burn themself in the warmth of the deity’s body.

They didn’t know what to say. They didn’t want to be a burden. They had felt like a nuisance all their lives. Still, they wanted to stay, now that they had calmed down and saw how caring Aziraphale was. Being with someone - anyone - would be nice. “Thank you...” Crawly averted their eyes, avoiding staring into the beautiful blue ones. Their fingers laced with each other. Some colors rose to their pale cheeks. 

If only they hadn’t met… _like that_.

“Splendid,” Aziraphale beamed. “I have plenty of room in the palace, and seaweed grows in my garden, we can make you a nest in no time. There’s plenty of food, you can pick and choose. Welcome to my humble home-” He blinked. “Oh, barnacles, I haven’t even asked for your name! What can I call you?”

The ichtysia unfolded their tail and sat up straighter. They were indeed hungry. They had refused the last-meal offer from the Priest.

"Crawly," they replied as they brushed some hair behind their ears.

“Crawly?” Aziraphale echoed in disbelief. “But that’s a child’s name! I mean- You’re an adult, how come you’re still using your guardname? I may not be in touch with my chosen people that often, but I’m fairly sure they still have the Naming ceremony once one of theirs decides to take up their proper role. Please don’t tell me they didn’t allow you to have a proper name…!”

Crawly shrugged. "I've never taken on a role. I mean, I tried. But as you can see I am not qualified for either of them." 

Aziraphale’s gills opened while he pinched the bridge of his nose, then after a few heartbeats, they released some rather large bubbles. “Neither Givers, nor Takers are solely defined by their ability to carry offspring. Takers kill, fight, butcher; Givers nurture, plant and think. If anything, you’re probably suited for both roles. If they didn’t like you, you had to procure your own food, no? How did you do that?”

“You go tell your people that…” muttered Crawly. The ichtysia had all these tests one had to take to be deemed qualified. Obviously, being unable to mate was the one thing that flunked them from the Giver role. As for Takers, well, aside from the fact that they looked too malnourished - which they were not - to hunt, apparently being able to fertilize others was also part of the requirements for whatever reason. While Crawly was gynandrous like the other ichtysia, something was definitely broken inside. They could never get their mating organs to work without hurting them or their partners. 

“I suppose I do hunt. If you could call setting up traps hunting,” they shrugged again. “In the village, they thought I was being lazy. But eh, I just thought I could spend my time doing things other than chasing mackerels around, y’know? Use some brains?” A soft chuckle escaped them at the fun memories of coming up with ideas. Crawly gestured at their surroundings. “I have a small garden as well.”

“You _had_ a small garden,” Aziraphale smiled. “Now you have quite a large one. This is where I grow some of my food; and I like having spots that are just nice. I also have specially set up rooms where I keep my fish, it’s easier than chasing them down. And, I occasionally go fin-to-fin with a sea monster. By your definitions, I’m both a Giver and a Taker. There were times when those roles weren’t taken this seriously.” He offered his hand to Crawly. “Come, let’s pick that seaweed for your nest and then we’ll gather a meal. I think we both could use some rest.”

Choices had been something Crawly longed for. They had made up their mind. They didn’t want to be alone anymore. The ichtysia held onto Aziraphale’s hand. The soothing warmth of his body was still inviting even when it wasn’t as vibrant as before.

All they could hope was that this was the right decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of 18/11 2020, the fic was marked with the Rape warning. Apparently, no one noticed anything for half a year. =3 We didn't feel the need to include the tag because while the events depicted in the first chapter are _technically_ rape, the ichtysia view it differently. Crowley themself isn't upset by what happened, and they'd have been delighted to participate, were it not for their condition. However, to protect readers who wouldn't agree, adjustments were made.


	3. Chapter 2 cover

Lineart by [OKami_hu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OKami_hu), coloring by [CatofApocalypse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatofApocalypse/pseuds/CatofApocalypse)

Words will be posted soon, stay tuned! =3


	4. Chapter 2

Crawly was basically drowning in seaweed that night. Aziraphale had insisted on picking more and more of the stuff, until his head could be barely seen over the pile in his arms. However, it did make for a comfortable nest, so Crawly couldn’t bring themself to complain. 

After the nest was made, they went back to the garden and picked their dinner. Various types of kelp grew in abundance on the grounds, as well as algae and seagrass. Once their basket was full, Aziraphale led Crawly to the little rooms, enclosed by magic barriers where he bred fish. Water could still pass through the shimmering walls, the deity had explained, but predators couldn’t. Of course, it required work to keep the fish healthy and fed; Crawly was starting to think that this god’s home wasn’t all that different from any household in the village. 

By the time they'd sated their hunger, the light had changed; it was time to retire. Crawly burrowed into their nest and slept surprisingly well.

Sleeping was one of their favorite pastimes. They had an imaginative mind that took them through countless interesting dreams. There had been ones where they owned the village and got to boss their haters around, or ones where they didn’t live in water at all. Sometimes there would be strange ones, most of which they hardly remember the details of. Undoubtedly, the night terrors were the least anticipated. These usually came after a stressful day and often felt too real, and when Crawly closed their eyes, they hoped that what had happened with Aziraphale wasn’t going to manifest itself in a nasty way.

It was such a relief that this wasn’t the case. The ichtysia stirred awake with a soft hum. They turned, stretched their tail and arms, then nuzzled their face into the soft layer of seaweed. The remnants of the dream told them that they had dreamt of venturing into a place so bright it seemed endless. There was a voice, though they could hardly remember what it had said.

They turned again, this time to lie on their other side. That was when they noticed a basket on the small table in the room. It hadn’t been there when they went to sleep, had it? Crawly curiously swam over and tasted the water, immediately realizing that it was food. Aziraphale must have left it for them. While not all that hungry yet, Crawly opened the lid out of curiosity.

It contained a generous helping of delicious kelp with a handful of tiny fishes peppered on top and a single shrimp placed artfully in the middle. Quite a lovely breakfast, and a late one at that; judging by the brightness of the water, it was the middle of the morning. 

Crawly sat on the edge of the nest and stared down at the food. The pleasant ache in their chest came back again. They had to take longer breaths to calm down. They didn't want to be overwhelmed with emotion right after waking up. This was the first time in many years that someone had made them a morning meal.

Crawly picked the shrimp up and tossed it into their mouth, then lay back down, chewing lazily and wondered what Aziraphale was doing.

They were about halfway through breakfast when they got their answer. Aziraphale poked his head into the room with a wide smile, greeting Crawly with a respectful nod. 

“I see you’re awake! And it looks like breakfast pleased your tastes, splendid! You can definitely finish, but after that, I thought it’d be best to show you the entire palace. I’m not sure how entertaining you’ll find it… But anyway, you should know your way around here. What do you say?”

Crawly had immediately pushed themself upright when they saw Aziraphale at the door. They blushed, swallowing the food in their mouth. They weren’t used to seeing another person right after waking up. After their talk during dinner yesterday, Crawly had found themself liking the god more and more. The memory of Aziraphale’s monstrous form felt like a bad dream at the back of their mind by now.

“I can finish later… I don’t usually eat a lot, anyway,” replied Crawly, not wanting to make Aziraphale wait for them. And they told the truth: they weren’t much of a glutton. Eating too much often upset their stomach. The ichtysia put the lid back on the breakfast. “What about you? Have you eaten?” 

“I took the liberty of doing so,” Aziraphale beamed, moving into the entrance, politely staying outside of the room. “It’s kind of late in the morning, and I need a lot of sustenance.” He patted his soft belly. “It’s not a problem of course, you’re a guest, you can sleep as long as you want. I don’t mind gathering some extra food. Though if you would like to help me, that’d be appreciated.” He nodded, then gestured towards the corridor. 

“The palace doesn’t have a difficult layout, you probably won’t get lost, but it’s kind of large. And I must admit, I’m excited to show it off. I don’t get visitors often.” 

Crawly smiled eagerly and left the nest to swim closer to Aziraphale. Waves of red hair blocking their face for a moment when they stopped in front of the god. The ichtysia pushed it back with both hands and hung it over their shoulder. 

Crawly grinned as they spoke. “Sure. I want to see. It’s remarkable.”

“Would you like a tie for that hair? Must be awfully inconvenient when taking sharp turns,” Aziraphale mentioned innocently, but his eyes glinted with mischief. 

Crawly blushed. Their hair was indeed a problem sometimes. Though they usually had it braided, the string of shells they typically used for their hair had snapped when they were taken to be sacrificed. “It’s manageable… but perhaps later?” Crawly shrugged. They didn’t want to delay the tour. 

Aziraphale offered his arm for Crawly, who hesitantly took it, still unused to physical contact with someone they had just met. 

“The palace has fifteen rooms, not counting the gardens and the fish hatchery. It has three levels, two above the seabed and one below. We should start at the top. You can enter any room, and you can use them - just refrain from breaking things or touching something you don’t understand.” He led Crawly along on the corridor that spiraled gently upwards.

"That’s a lot of rooms," commented Crawly. They held back the question as to why exactly a god living alone would need fifteen rooms. 

The ichtysia did their best to listen and keep up with Aziraphale, while being distracted by their surroundings. They weren’t swimming too fast, though there were things Crawly hoped to later have a closer look at. The lower level walls were lined with trails of luminescence since the light from above couldn’t reach. The higher they swam, the brighter it got.

“You’ve got light holes?” asked the merperson curiously. “Most of us don’t really like ‘em. Anything or anyone can get inside, y’know?” Ichtysia homes tended to have relatively small doors covered by thick seaweed curtains, and a few small holes above it to allow some light in and ensure water flow. The size helped to keep out most of the sealife.

“Yes, but I’m a god,” Aziraphale smirked before laughing. “I know it’s not fun waking up to fish chewing on your hair or fins. However, I have magic. I suppose you’ve found the barriers separating my grounds from the rest of the sea? I have the same on my light holes. It allows the water through but nothing denser, not even sand.” He pulled on Crawly a bit, eager to show off. The first hole was a lot larger than the fist-sized ones lining a carved ichtysia home’s walls; about as wide and tall as Crawly’s lower arm. 

Aziraphale placed his hand on something unseen, right in the middle of the window. “If you touch it, the barrier will feel solid. Nothing gets in and nothing gets out.” He paused and his eyes softened. “I’ll make adjustments so the gates will let you pass. You’re not a prisoner, after all.”

“Thank you,” Crawly nodded. They were more interested in the magic described by the deity at the moment. They reached out to place their palm on the invisible barrier and grinned like an excited fry when their hand really couldn’t pass through. “Wicked!”

Aziraphale smiled and let them explore a little, before patting their shoulder. “There’s more in store for you, but first things first. Let’s move up.”

The pathway ended in a fairly open space with four doors set in the smooth walls, all covered by seaweed curtains. 

“Three of those are my libraries, while the fourth is half my art collection,” Aziraphale explained. “I’m quite proud of them. You know that there are creatures living on the dry lands, right? I have managed to collect a lot of things from them over time.”

"Oh, I have seen them," Crawly's ear-fins lifted enthusiastically. They loved talking about the land creatures. These animals scared the other merpeople, but not Crawly. They could spend hours watching them. "I rather like the little ones that can swim in the air. Always wonder how they do that."

They looked at the doors in front of him. Were they supposed to choose what to see now? While they were curious about the reading material, the art collection was more interesting. "Can I see inside the art room?"

”Sure!” Aziraphale swam forward and pulled the curtain out of the way with an elegant bow. “After you, my dear.”

The sturdy stone shelves inside held a dazzling collection of various items, relatively unknown to the ichtysia. There was one common theme in the entire room: the pieces - jewelry, pottery, probably magically preserved weapons, coins, crystals and several remains of sea creatures - were smaller in size, which probably made sense since they had to be carried up here.

“I only ask that you be careful,” Aziraphale said, “but you’re free to touch anything while I’m here. I bet you’d like to.” He was beaming with pride; the collection obviously meant a lot to him and he was excited to show it off.

Crawly was already thinking of touching a vase, and promptly did exactly that when permission was given. They traced their fingers along the texture of the object, following the engraved shapes on the surface. Once noticing the coins, the ichtysia scooped them into their palm and studied the images on them.

"These are from the land creatures? Or did you make them? What are they for?"

“That’s metal, ‘gold’ to be specific. You can’t work with metal underwater, because that requires a lot of heat,” Aziraphale explained. “So, no, I couldn’t make those, they indeed came from the land creatures. There are as many of them as there are creatures in the sea. The ones you mentioned are called ‘birds’. I think. I mean, there are several species on dry land that can fly- move in the sky. But there are larger creatures that look like us to the waist; but they have legs. They’re called ‘humans’. They make these things here. They call it ‘money’. To my understanding- um. When an ichtysia needs something they can’t get, they usually trade. You know, for example, a necklace for a nicely sized fish for dinner. But you need to find someone who needs a necklace and has caught enough fish to be willing to part from one. Humans use money. It can be traded for anything.”

Crawly nodded along. They didn’t catch everything about the land animals, but the part about how the ‘money’ thing worked was at least understandable. “Oh, so, instead of looking for someone with a fish or a necklace, they look for someone with the mo-ney?” They tilted their head, raising a coin up to look at the details. “Is this a human on the money? They don’t look like us.”

“The ears are definitely different,” Aziraphale nodded, moving closer and taking a look at the coin in Crawly’s palm. “Yes, that’s one of their leaders. Humans, to my understanding are both more and less reliant on each other than mercreatures. In the sea, if you’re hungry, you catch the first fish that swims past or go out to find some kelp, it grows everywhere. Some Givers keep gardens where they cultivate certain types of kelp that are more delicious - usually they exchange that for fish they don’t have the time to catch. Humans need a wider variety of food and more things, more tools; and they need to obtain them from others. Money is to make things easier. These coins have an assigned value and can be exchanged to goods of the same value.”

Crawly nodded, eyes wide in fascination. They smiled at the coin in their hand. This was something they had never seen before, and listening to Aziraphale’s explanation made them excited to ask more questions. “How much kelp do you think I could get for this money? Is it a lot?” They rambled, placing the different kinds of money they found from the box onto a flat surface. “Oh! There are so many different ones. Are they the same?”

Aziraphale laughed and began to explain the finer points of money-based economy. Unfortunately, kelp didn’t have much value for humans, so they wouldn’t buy it; but they might buy pretty seashells or jewelry made of it. They might buy fish. Different coins had different values, gold being the most precious, followed by silver and copper. They also came from different parts of the dry lands, some that were cold, others that were hot. Humans also came in a wide variety. Several that Aziraphale have met were pale like him, others darker like Crawly, and there were humans with skin almost as dark as shadows.

As the explanations branched into different territories of the dry lands and its inhabitants, more questions were asked and answered; Aziraphale was overjoyed to have found such an eager pupil. And Crawly, who was always a curious little thing, was fascinated by the abundance of knowledge the sea-god seemed to possess.

They could have stayed there until the evening, talking about various things, but nature asserted itself. Aziraphale’s stomach rumbled, and the deity blinked. 

“Deary me, it’s lunchtime already! Aren’t you hungry, my dear? Let’s grab something and then we can continue.” 

Crawly shifted their gaze away from the many coins they were looking at whilst listening to Aziraphale. “Hm?” It took the ichtysia a moment to realize what had been suggested. They were still very interested in the many things in the room and weren’t too hungry since they usually had lunch much later in the day. Though, seeing the god’s enthusiasm about food, and how he seemed just as lonely as they were, Crawly wanted to join him in whatever he wanted to do.

“Just a little hungry,” the ichtysia answered, swimming closer to Aziraphale. “But I’ll go with you.” 

“It might take a little while,” Aziraphale warned. “However, if you have more questions, I can answer them.” He smiled at Crawly. “It delights me that you’re so eager to learn. I haven’t had such an attentive audience since- well, a very long time.”

Crawly smiled back with a little shrug of their shoulders as the two of them swam outside together. “I like your stories. They are fascinating” The ichtysia blushed. There was also the fact that Aziraphale’s voice was quite attractive when he was sharing his knowledge. Crawly really couldn’t wait for them to come back here later.

***

They descended to the ground floor where the fishes were kept; Aziraphale quickly snatched up two of the larger fish, and a moderately sized one, offering the latter to Crawly. “Try this, they taste best when they’re this size.”

“Thank you,” The ichtysia carefully held the fish that was the size of their arm. It was still struggling, so they had to use a bit of claw to hold it firmly. The whole thing about money was still lingering in their mind, and they kept wondering, staring at this delicious looking fish, how much money could they exchange it for.

“They look bigger than the ones I see out there. Do you think the humans would give me the pretty money for these? Have you tried that before?” they wondered out loud, examining the fish for a good spot to take a bite of. Their slit pupils dilated as they looked up at Aziraphale. “Oh, was that how you got the money in the first place?”

“I did help the humans try to catch fish a few times.” Aziraphale discreetly turned away, to bite his lunch’s head off. “They were thankful, once they got over the initial shock. I’ve even gotten a few coins from them, but the majority comes from sunken ships. Have you seen a ship before? It’s quite a sight.”

“A ship? Oh, that thing you said the humans use to cross the water, isn’t it?” Crawly searched their memory. “I might have? I didn’t know what it was. It was huge and… Hmm,” the ichtysia looked around. They flicked their tail to get close to the seafloor and used a claw to draw a trapezoid with lines poking out of it, indicating the pillars they had seen protruding from the thing. “Like this?”

“Kind of, yes. They are quite impressive, Humans can travel great distances on them, but they’re reliant on the wind. Or sheer muscle power, but I haven’t seen those ships for a good while.” Aziraphale took another bite from his fish. 

“Also, ships can be broken by the sea, the power of the waves, or they can be damaged by huge rocks, and once the water gets inside, they’ll sink. If the sailors are lucky, they might be able to escape, or they can be washed ashore but often they’ll just drown. The wreck settles on the seabed, and it becomes ours. I have seen many of them, and some carried entire loads of coins.”

Crawly completely forgot about the writhing fish in their claws and just stared at Aziraphale as he told them more. “I’d love to see one of those. The ones that are above,” they hummed. The fish reminded them of its presence with a slap of its tail on their arm. They looked down, frowned in annoyance, and took a chomp of it.

“They have routes that they follow, along certain currents or guided by the stars,” Aziraphale mused. “You have to travel for a while until you cross one such route, and you can never be sure when a ship comes along. But it’s not impossible to catch one. You can also swim closer to the shore, find a harbor… Maybe one day, we could do that. I don’t have to be constantly present, and it gets boring anyway… And whatever happens, you’ll always be in the favor of the gods, having been offered to one.” He smiled softly at Crawly. 

“I’ll go get seconds. Once we’re finished, we can go back and check out the rest of my hoard.”

“Okay.” The ichtysia watched Aziraphale move away, their hands idly bring the fish up to their lips so they could nibble on it, absent-minded.

_In the favor of the gods..._

Their thin lips spread into a little smile, feeling a pleasant warmth filling up their chest. Being in the favor of _anyone_ was never a part of their life. Ichtysia were left to fend for themselves from the moment they hatched. They would try to survive together until they found their place in the village. But unlike the rest of the fries, Crawly never got along well with the adults. They were left to their own devices - never was _in favor_ , so to speak.

Aziraphale was a god of their people, and he had just told them that they meant something to the gods. Crawly giggled into their meal at the thought. The ichtysia couldn’t wait to tell the High Priest about this. If they ever crossed each other’s paths again, that was.

***

For the remainder of the day, the pleasant warm feeling persisted, though it was overshadowed by burning curiosity. Aziraphale was a source of abundant knowledge about both land and sea, and Crawly learned more about the former in the course of the afternoon than he had in his entire life. 

Eventually, the waters darkened; Aziraphale continued his explanations by the light of a sea creature for a while but then it became too dark to see. It was time to retreat. Aziraphale escorted Crawly back to their room and wished them a pleasant rest. 

“My room is over there,” he pointed at a curtained door higher up on the corridor. “If you need me for whatever reason, do come to me. You might need to shake me awake, but it’d be fine.” He ran his warm hand down over Crawly’s back. “I’ve enjoyed today very much, and I’m looking forward to continuing tomorrow.” He chuckled. “We didn’t get too far in discovering the palace, did we?”

Crawly smiled awkwardly, their ear fins drooping. “Yeahh… I couldn’t stop asking questions.” They twirled a lock of hair in their fingers. “But what I’ve seen so far has been very interesting. I’d like to see more,” they shrugged and smiled. “Anyway, I hope you have a good sleep, Aziraphale.”

“You too, Crawly. Uh, you know, you should think of a proper name. I can make them call you by it. But, anyway, sleep well. May nothing steal your warmth.” Aziraphale bowed his head, then left, disappearing in his room.

Silence and darkness fell over the palace; even the water stilled. There was little to do but rest.

Crawly stretched on the soft nest of seaweed, their red spinal fin folded to be more comfortable lying on their back. It had been quite a day, and yet the ichtysia couldn’t sleep at all. They kept thinking back over the things Aziraphale had told them, letting their imagination fill in the gaps. The world above the ocean sounded amazing.

And then their mind was brought back to what the god had suggested. 

_A proper name, huh?_

Crawly had never thought of that. They had gotten so used to being called by their current alias to even question it by now. The villagers named them Crawly because, well, the merpeople thought they looked scrawny - reminded them of the snakes that creep among the corals. Not a very well-liked creature, unfortunately.

“But what do I name myself then?” Crawly pouted. They didn’t know where to start. Personality was out of the question as they couldn’t think of a word that defined them without sounding a bit too depressing. If they had gone for appearance, perhaps Spikes, or Black. Crawly grimaced at the names. No way… That didn’t sound right at all!

“Maybe I can just make up random words,” the merperson turned to lie on their side, resting their head on their forearm. “ Antony… Jofiel... Buele… Blegh…” They made a disgusted face at the weird jumble of sounds they’d just made. “This is harder than I thought… Hmm...” Antony sounded kind of nice of the tongue at least, but Crawly preferred some meaning to it. Perhaps in the morning Aziraphale could help them figure something out? The god knew more interesting words after all. 

The ichtysia turned and shifted around. They tried to get it off their mind and sleep. Unfortunately, when their brain was fixed on something, it was hard to let go. Then, a spark of ideas made them push themself up. Oh! Didn’t Aziraphale mention a list in the library with all the words about the humans? Words that the god had noted down on thin slabs of stones? Maybe…

It didn’t sound like a bad idea, after all.

Crawly quietly swam out of their room. Their eyes were more adapted to the dark than most ichtysia’s, and they glowed - which was another reason why the villagers didn’t like them snooping around after the lights were gone. The merpeople were scared of them since they were a reminder of what could be lurking in the deepest abyss of the sea. Crawly didn’t enjoy being compared to the monsters, but there was nothing they could do about that.

Besides, these eyes were useful. Such as now, when Crawly needed to quietly maneuver themself to the library without hitting anything, or disturbing Aziraphale’s slumber.

The palace actually wasn’t even that terribly dark; phosphorescent creatures, a type of sea moss lined the bottom of the walls, conveniently showing the way, their glow faint but noticeable. Here and there, a lazily glowing shell that was perched on the ceiling accompanied them. Finding one’s way in the corridors was easy (though having good eyes definitely helped). The library wasn’t far, and the glowing creature Aziraphale kept there would enable a bit of reading...

Crawly swam past his guest-giver’s bedroom but something made them halt. There was a scent in the water, something unusual, thick and cloying; it made their head spin for a moment. What was that…? Crawly knew this scent. They’ve felt it before but when…? 

And then came a sound. Where did it come from? The ichtysia listened, long ears twitching to catch the sound again- and there it was, most probably coming from Aziraphale’s room. Wasn’t the god asleep? The thick seaweed curtain on the door barely swayed in the faint currents; the light seeping through the strands was faint, just like that of the corridor’s. It wasn’t unusual; mercreatures were attracted to light, and glowing decor was a cherished addition to any ichtysia home.

The noise drifted through the water again. It was hard to tell what kind of sound it was; it could’ve very well signaled distress.

Crawly hesitated for a good while. Their eyes darted side to side despite knowing full well there was no one around beside them and Aziraphale in this palace. They gnawed at their bottom lip and finally decided to take a look. It sounded quite concerning.

They pressed themself against the wall next to the entrance of the god’s room, listening in. The sound hadn’t died out at all, in fact, now that they were much closer, there was no way it came from their imagination.The ichtysia frowned. They shouldn’t be sticking their fin into someone’s business. But... Perhaps Aziraphale was having one of those bad dreams? Crawly had had quite a few before. During these moments, they would move or make distressed sounds while asleep. If that was the case maybe the god should be woken up?

Very carefully, they touched the curtain, trying their best not to move it too much. They just needed to take a peek inside, to make sure nothing bad was happening.

At the first glance, it really seemed like Aziraphale was indeed in distress; but the second glance made it clear that he was actually… otherwise occupied. 

The deity lay on his back, the entirety of his soft underbelly exposed to the open water. Five of his massive legs were firmly attached to the floor, anchoring him in place and keeping him spread out. One of them squirmed against his underbelly seemingly without purpose; another’s tip was inside the- mating hole? The gods had that? Regardless, it was acting just like a penetrator, slipping in and out; and it seemed to evoke similar sensations, too - not that Crawly was familiar with those sensations thanks to their shortcomings but the ichtysia had few taboos about mating. Every time the agile appendage breached his body, Aziraphale’s back arched, and he moaned. His sounds were muffled though by the last tentacle’s tip, which was in his mouth. Aziraphale cradled this one leg against his chest, rubbing the smooth golden expanse of it. His eyes were closed, but he probably wouldn’t have noticed the spy lurking by his door anyway; he seemed so lost in pleasure, though there was a certain unexplainable desperation lingering around him. As if he was doing this against his own will. 

Crawly covered their mouth quickly to hide the gasp. They pressed their back to the wall again, feeling their heart beating rapidly in the moment of shock. They breathed slowly to try and calm down as the realization dawned on them. They felt like they knew what Aziraphale was doing. Though they couldn’t be so sure.

The idea of mating with oneself was… new. The ichtysia tended to only mate at a certain time of the year. The act of mating was sacred, an honor to provide life to the ocean. It was to be respected. They weren’t allowed to do it outside of the yearly mating ritual. 

There had been cases where someone was _too fertile_ \- they’d feel the need to fertilize _something_. The healers of the village or the temple servants would offer help to relieve their stress, since touching themselves was forbidden by the High Priest. 

Crawly hadn't been one of those active people. Rather than being too fertile, they just couldn't get their body to work right, and thus no one wanted to have them during the mating dance. They usually had to stay on the sidelines, observing. But just watching others do it made them curious and warm under their skin.

Just like what they were feeling _now_. And there was little they could do about it.

Crawly was debating whether to watch, or to ignore it to continue on their quest. It wasn't rude to watch other ichtysia do this, but Aziraphale was a god. Were they allowed to see?

Eventually, curiosity won out, and Crawly peeped again.

Aziraphale was reaching completion, judging by how tense he looked and how fast his tentacle was penetrating his hole. His hips bucked, his noises grew louder then suddenly, his entire body was pulled taut, arching off from the nest and he shuddered and whimpered through his release.

Then slowly, the tension eased; his previously busy legs went limp, the suckers relinquished their death grip on the floor. The mighty deity was endearingly exhausted and vulnerable, his gills wide open, limbs loose, the tips of his legs twitching. He lay there for a little while, then rolled on his side, wrapped a bunch of seaweed around himself, curled up, and stilled.

Unfortunately while Aziraphale had calmed down and fallen into sleep, the burning inside Crawly had not. 

The ichtysia held tightly onto the wall, watching the deity until it was clear that the god wasn’t going to move anymore. They backed away from the doorway to once again lean on the illuminated wall. Their heart was still pounding fast, and this time there was a tingling sensation down below accompanying it. 

It felt like an itch within. An itch that they couldn’t really scratch. Something deep inside them had tensed up, pushing against the inner walls of their mating hole. Crawly knew what it was, and it made them take a shaky breath.They shouldn’t try to touch it. That would be against the rules set by Aziraphale himself.

Even so, it was unbearable. Crawly bit their lip, stroking a hand over their belly, all the way down to the fin covering their mating hole. They slipped the hand under the fin to gently massage the skin around their entrance, hoping it would ease their arousal. For a short while it helped, but then the tingle would come back, tempting their hand to go deeper.

Crawly hesitated. They couldn’t just… do it in the hallway. It was wrong to even attempt in the first place.

The ichtysia ended up discarding the idea of visiting the library. They needed to go back to their nest. Sleep this off. Or… do something about it!


	5. Chapter 3 Cover

Lineart by [OKami_hu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OKami_hu), coloring by [CatofApocalypse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatofApocalypse/pseuds/CatofApocalypse)


	6. Chapter 3

As the waters brightened with the light from above, Aziraphale roused from his sleep, relieved that he was feeling a lot better. The night’s activities helped to quell the aches he was experiencing and delayed the inevitable for a while longer. The sea-god stretched, then chuckled when his stomach grumbled. Any sort of exercise, physical or intellectual tended to leave him hungry. 

He pried the seaweed off himself and headed for his expansive pantry. He couldn’t help but shiver once he reached the lower floor; the water was always fresher and colder there and he so missed warmth! His faraway homeland was a lot warmer. Maybe he should’ve settled down far more to the south… Maybe the company wouldn’t have been that bad after all. 

Aziraphale’s thoughts drifted away. His current companion was rather delightful, so full of curiosity. Crawly was clever, and… rather pleasing to the eyes. Yes. Oh, that slender tail, that luxurious flowing hair - the color of the most eye-catching anemones, and those nimble fingers that could- Aziraphale’s gills flared as the arousal welled up in him. Crawly felt so right in his arms and underneath his body; after so long, holding them was like… finding home again. 

Their condition was worrying though. Aziraphale decided to ask about it later; while healing magic was a mystery even to him, maybe his vast knowledge could come in handy in fixing it, if there was anything to fix. 

Aziraphale passed the magical barrier to his hatchery and began to select breakfast. Crawly liked the last morning meal, and they could use the nutrition. They seemed so fragile! He just wished he had some help. Catching and gathering food, even if it was within arm’s reach took up valuable time. Back in the old days, Aziraphale had planned on having servants, he had even made sure there were rooms for them… but eventually had decided against it. The ichtysia revered him as a deity, and that was beneficial; letting them know that their god ate a lot, slept at night, and sometimes left for days would have undermined his reputation. 

But, he was used to it. Aziraphale took the fish to the kitchen, then went to fetch kelp from the garden. Today, he went for the thicker, crunchier ones and hoped Crawly would like them. Aziraphale was definitely looking forward to his guest rising so they could continue their conversation. 

Time crawled by. The waters fully brightened. 

Aziraphale quietly swam up to the library, to check a few things, then spent some time at a more private part of his residence, brushing up on some specific knowledge. The palace remained silent, however, and he was starting to feel a little anxious. Finally, way past breakfast time, Aziraphale approached Crawly’s room and peeked inside. 

His guest was still in bed, lying on their side in a curled up position, arms hugging their folded tail. They had wrapped themself in a layer of seaweed and seemed to be fast asleep. 

It wasn’t the case, however. Crawly had tried their very best to sleep after the late night off-track and eventually managed, but they had roused from their fitful slumber disgustingly early, rudely awakened by their own body when a cramp made their stomach throb. It must have been the result of what happened last night. It wasn’t the first time this kind of thing had happened when they felt the burning need to touch themself. As if their body was eager to punish them for their transgressions.

There was a shift in the water that alerted Crawly. Their earfin twitched first, then they lifted their head to look. Their gut clenched at the sight of Aziraphale. The vivid memory of what they had witnessed last night came flooding back, spreading warmth under their skin once more. To their annoyance, this was followed by a pinching pain in their lower belly. Regardless, Crawly forced themself to sit up. It was incredibly hard to not wince, but they managed.

“Aziraphale.” The ichtysia smiled, trying to look their best. “Good morning. I think I overslept again.”

“Oh, thank the kind currents.” Aziraphale placed a hand on his chest. “I was worried that you might be ill. I’m so glad it’s not the case. So, now that you’re up, there’s a fish and some nice, crunchy kelp waiting for you, and then we can continue what we started yesterday! If you’d like to continue, that is. Oh, and don’t worry about oversleeping. It’s fine, rest as much as you’d like to. Though,” he winked at his guest, “next time I’ll just eat your share, too, and then you’ll have to catch your own meal!”

“No, m’not ill.” Crawly brushed their hair back to hide a shy blush, knowing full well that it was a straight-faced lie. They didn’t have an appetite for anything. The faint pain was very irritating, and adding the weight of food into their stomach sounded like a bad idea. 

Crawly peeled the seaweed off their tail, not wanting to leave the bed yet, but if Aziraphale got worried and asked what was wrong, they would have to explain, and might have to talk about what they saw last night. That wouldn’t be good at all. 

After a clumsy push of the tail, they swam closer to the deity. “I’d love to continue the talk. Can we do that when I eat?” Crawly thought at least this would be a good enough distraction from their useless body.

“I don’t see why not,” Aziraphale nodded. “At least, I’ll be able to show you more of the palace. Come.” He offered his arm to Crawly and led them out.

“There’s a moderately sized working area near the gardens, where I prepare my food, if it needs to be prepared. There’s also another treasury, containing the heavier pieces of my collection. Some of them depict humans, so I’m sure you’ll find them interesting!” 

Crawly nodded. Then, remembering what they were thinking of the night before, they looked up. “Oh, but before that,” they raised a finger. “Can we go to the library? I want to see the notes of words you learned from the humans. Is it alright?”

”Of course! Are you looking for something specific, or just random words? I have to say,” Aziraphale tipped his chin up, “I take great pride in how organized my notes are! Whatever you need, we can find it in a few heartbeats.”

In contrast, the ichtysia blushed and lowered their head. “It’s for… um…” they twirled one finger in a lock of red hair. “You said I should think of a name… Maybe I could find some… inspiration.”

“Ooh! Oh, absolutely!” Aziraphale’s eyes sparkled. “I thought of a few things, too, but yes, of course, I’ll find everything for you and you can go through my notes. I’m glad you’re considering it! You definitely deserve a proper name.” They entered a room where on a large, wide stone slab, Crawly’s late breakfast was waiting in a basket.

“There we go! You should eat at least a little, then we’ll go back and put our feelers out!” It looked like the idea was more appealing to Aziraphale than to Crawly. “Any idea where you’d like to begin?”

Crawly indeed didn’t need a reminder of what Aziraphale’s many flexible arms could do. They acted as if they were busy poking at the food to avoid eye contact. “I think I will know what I am looking for when I see it,” they said quietly. A little twist somewhere in their gut made them consider bailing on the food. They bit the inside of their mouth to avoid showing it visibly and worry the god as they picked a small piece up to stare at it.

“I see. I’m certain you’ll find something, and it’ll be perfect. Intuition can be quite a reliable guide in matters like this.” Aziraphale settled down on the edge of the stone and arranged his legs, deeply in thought.

“I think I know where to begin. Um.” Aziraphale tipped his head to the side. “So- how was your night? You’ve gotten enough sleep, but actually, you look a little pale. Are you sure you’re well?”

Crawly quickly bit into the food when they heard the question, feeling hot again from embarrassment. They chewed then swallowed a bit too hastily and coughed a few times. “S-sorry. It’s really good food,” they tried to explain the reaction and cleared their throat. “Um, yes, my sleep was good… Really good… I’m fine, really…”

Dammit, they needed a distraction.

Just then, the ichtysia noticed that the tip of one of Aziraphale’s many tentacles was wrapped with some seaweed and pointed at it. “Oh you’ve got something on your… um.. Arm?” At the moment, they didn’t really notice what type of seaweed it was.

“Arm, leg, tentacle, not even I am sure what to call them.” Aziraphale peered at his many appendages thoughtfully, then his cheeks turned a fetching salmon pink. “I, uh. Yes, I managed to hurt myself a little, how clumsy of me, right?” He laughed. “It’s nothing serious, just stings a little, so I thought it’d be better to treat it… I know little of medicine but I have picked up bits over the years. This seaweed is known for its healing properties and I have a nice cluster in the back of the garden, shall you ever need it.”

He lifted the arm up and adjusted the wrap on it. On second thought- wasn’t that the very arm he was chewing on last night-?

“Ohh… It’s that one,” Crawly tilted their head, assuming it was the same tentacle Aziraphale was biting, then blushed. Embarrassed by the slip up, they stuffed the kelp into their mouth, chewing fast. Eating wasn’t as bad for their stomach as they had thought, which was a relief. “The seaweed I mean. I remember them,” said the ichtysia after swallowing, hopefully the god wouldn’t catch on to what they actually were talking about.

Aziraphale did look suspicious for a few very long and uncomfortable moments but eventually let the topic slide, which was probably for the best. He went on chattering about other things instead. 

Once Crawly finished, though the god still insisted that they should eat more in general, they headed up to the library to find something useful among the human words Aziraphale had gathered. It turned out that he had gathered a lot, and he kept bringing over sheet after sheet, until they piled up by Crawly’s side.

The ichtysia stared at the stack of slate slabs that just seemed to grow higher and higher, mouth gaping open. “I-is this all of them?”

“Oh no, there’s a lot more, these are just the most relevant ones,” Aziraphale beamed. “I mean, those I think to be most relevant. Er, I might have gotten a little overbearing, forgive me. When others assume you know everything best, it tends to stick, like barnacles.” With a sigh, he settled down with a few more sheets in his lap.

“If it’s too much, you can tell me. I might know a lot of things, and I might know a lot of things a lot better, but I couldn’t possibly have an idea what’s best for _you_.” He held up a finger. “Don’t even let gods tell you what’s best for you! I mean, you can ask for their advice, but in the end, you should be the judge of things that concern your well-being.” 

Crawly smiled widely. Aziraphale’s words made their heart flutter. They sure hated to be told what was best for them and was glad the god wasn’t that kind of deity. There was a little guilt deep down though. The ichtysia used to loathe the god for all the rules he had set for the merpeople, but now he had started wondering if it had been the High Priests who made them up after all. There was no way Aziraphale had been the one to tell the ichtysia such things. The contrast was too jarring.

“I think it’s fine. I have a lot of time, after all,” Crawly agreed and picked a random sheet from the many stacks. The weight of it was surprising, Aziraphale had carried these with such ease. Crawly heaved it to the empty space in front of them to read. _‘Ruby; a precious red stone. Can be exchanged for money or wear on one’s body.’_ Their eyebrow quirked. “I can see why this is a suggestion. Have you got one of these ruby stones?”

“Yes!” Aziraphale was grinning, showing off all his teeth, which were currently, reassuringly, blunt. “This also reminds me, I wanted to show you the jewelry I have! I have quite a stash, and I’d love to see you wearing them. We undersea folk use shells and pearls to adorn ourselves, but the humans have learned how to find the most lovely stones and work them until they sparkle! They also set them in metal. It’s very different from what you know, but I find it fascinating. I have an entire box of those trinkets in the other room.”

“Me? Wearing them?” Crawly felt a hotter blush rise up their face. The idea of a god offering them beautiful stones to wear was very flattering. In the moment, their stomach clenched, making them wince before they could stop it.

“You can even pick one and-” Aziraphale blinked. “Are you alright?”

Crawly laughed awkwardly, waving their hand to dismiss the topic. “Don’t worry. I... just have something stuck in my teeth is all.” They pretended to poke at something at the back of their mouth. The mild stomach pain refused to stop, which was rather annoying and Crawly set the heavy stone aside to at least divert their mind with something else. “Anyway! Yes, I would totally like to see the things you have.”

“Come with me then!”

They didn’t have to swim far, only to the hoard room. Aziraphale targeted a large stone container and pulled the lid off it, revealing a dazzling heap of shiny things. They were made of the same lovely yellow metal as the coins, and indeed, they contained loads of sparkling stones. 

“It’s been a while since I last went through these,” Aziraphale mused as he slowly dug both his hands in and heaved a hefty lot out. “It’s high time I’ve got some sorting done! The necklaces are much the same as ours - they tend to tangle up if left unattended. Now let me find a ruby...” He placed the heap on the table and began to carefully separate the pieces. There were necklaces, bracelets, bangles, rings, and earrings - the last two types of jewelry relatively unknown to the ichtysia. 

Crawly couldn’t keep their hands to themself. They held up several of the accessories to look at them while waiting and grinned excitedly.

Finally, Aziraphale pulled a golden strand with bright red gems loose. “This is it. May I?”

“Wow…” The ichtysia leaned closer to look at the necklace. They reached up to touch and turn the pretty pendant to study all the sides. “This is beautiful. Does this go around my neck?”

“Yes. Gather your hair and turn around, let me put it on you.” Aziraphale’s blue eyes shone. “If one of them really captures you, you can keep it. I’ll show you how the clasps work. I want- I would like you to have one. They aren’t doing much good sitting in the chest anyway, and I think any of these would look fetching on you.” He reached out and caressed Crawly’s cheek with the back of his warm fingers. 

“I have something else that you’re going to appreciate.”

Crawly thought they would have burst into foam just from that one gentle touch. Aziraphale’s voice was enchanting enough on its own, and the way the deity looked at them made them heat up from head to tail. They tried to speak, but all that came out was a bunch of incoherent sounds.

Giving up on the talking, the ichtysia caught the hair behind their back, gathering it as they turned around. It was much better this way actually, since Aziraphale wouldn’t see how red their cheeks had become. 

“L-like this?” asked Crawly, combing a hand through the hair they were holding, twirling the red tresses in their fingers.

“Just like that.” The charming voice was a soft whisper now. A hand radiating ridiculously intense heat settled down on Crawly’s shoulder, one end of the necklace pinched between two fingers. The other carefully passed between their neck and lifted arm, seized the other end and pulled it back, to join it at Crawly’s nape. 

“There we go.” The trinket sat heavily against Crawly’s collarbones but not disturbingly so, only strange. It didn’t bother their gills at all despite weighing much more.

Aziraphale quickly crossed over to a shelf and fetched something, which he held up in front of Crawly. “It’s called a ‘mirror’. Take a look.”

"Mir-ror?" The ichtysia tilted their head slightly, then flinched when they saw what was on the object. It took them a few more seconds to realize they were looking at an image of themself. Was this how they looked?

"That's… me?" Crawly reached for the object, fascinated. 

“Yes. This is a rare find, and very expensive in the human world, it took me quite a bit of work to get it, but as it is made of glass, the seawater doesn’t affect it like it affects metals. It’s beautiful. Almost as lovely as the image it reflects.” Aziraphale’s blush tinged his shoulders as well now, not just his cheeks. 

“This is one of the things I won’t let you touch, but feel free to move my hands, I want you to see yourself clearly.”

Crawly had never been able to see themself this clearly before. Sure they knew they had flowing red hair, two pointy ear fins, sharp and long fingers… They knew their tail was black with red fins along their spines, and, from others’ description, they had bright snake eyes. They had an idea of what their appearance was like, but imagination could only do so much. Their face looked nothing like what was in their head at all. It was like staring at a total stranger.

The ichtysia held Aziraphale’s wrist in both hands. They tilted their head from one side to another slowly, then moved the god’s hands to see different angles of their face in the mirror. Crawly stroked a finger on their face, they didn’t know they had these little dots on their cheeks.They had seen these on their shoulders but hadn’t expected them to be on their face as well!

Aziraphale simply let them take in the new sight; it was endearing how awe-struck Crawly looked. Also, it made the god proud that he was able to provide so many new things. 

He wanted to keep providing. He wanted to keep Crawly forever, for endless talks, discoveries and… other things. He had to fight off the pleasant heat blooming in his belly. Certain processes were getting out of hand.

Finally remembering the main purpose of the mirror, Crawly looked at the necklace in their reflection. The color matched their hair very well. They caressed the golden links with a big smile on their face. This sure beat wearing boring pearls and bone crafted things.

“It looks like you’re pleased with yourself,” Aziraphale noted with a fond smile. “Sometimes I forget that a lot of things I know are completely new to your kind. However, as some kind human told me, we shouldn’t be too taken with our own beauty lest risk falling in love with ourselves. I think he meant that in more ways than one.” He carefully set the mirror down and gently took Crawly’s hand. “You can come here and look at yourself whenever you want, but we are dealing with a lot of other beauty here - shiny stones and lovely words.”

Words. Oh, right. _Words_.

Crawly blushed darker at the reminder. They really had strayed from their original goals.

“M’sorry,” said the ichtysia, fixing their hair so it’d stay on one side of their shoulder and not float around too much. “It’s a beautiful thing, this ruby.” They smiled up at Aziraphale, still stroking the necklace fondly. “But you’re right. We should, um, go back to the words.”

It was a pity they couldn’t try them all on now. But as the god said, they could come back again anytime. Choosing a name for themself was more important.

While Crawly read, Aziraphale kept on sorting his stash, arranging the different types of jewelry into neat heaps, internally lamenting the need for more containers. Eventually though, his stomach reminded him that he was running low on sustenance. 

“Sometimes eating is bothersome,” he sighed as he got up and rolled his shoulders. “Would you like anything, or will the late meal keep you filled for a while? I’m going to fetch myself something.”

Crawly thought about it, and their stomach gave a protesting throb.

“Uh… I think I’m still quite full, thank you. I will keep looking at the notes while that then…” They smiled apologetically.

“It’s fine. Don’t break anything while I’m gone!” Aziraphale waved a finger at Crawly, then left.

Two moderately sized fishes and a seaweed selection later, he returned with renewed energy and kept sorting, occasionally setting aside the organization in favor of bringing more sheets and putting away the ones Crawly had read through. By the time the waters began to darken, the ichtysia’s head was spinning with the new words.

“This one won’t do either,” Crawly pouted. “I mean, I see the connection between this _fire_ thing and my hair, the way you described it here. But, hm, I don’t know...”

Name choosing was so much harder than the merperson had thought, even with all these words presented to them. Nothing had sounded right so far. It was either the description straying a bit, or the pronunciation was odd.

They dropped the stone aside rather harshly. “I might as well just stick to the old name at this point. I don’t particularly hate the sound of it. Just the meaning...”

Aziraphale nodded and pulled the stack of slabs a little farther, before Crawly could mishandle them, too. “You can definitely take a break,” he said kindly. “It’s been a long day. There’s no rush, but… In case you’d like a god’s advice, I might have something, just a suggestion. You can sleep on it.” He proceeded to look like he wasn’t excited about sharing his thoughts and didn’t quite manage.

Crawly initially wanted to pick out the name on their own, but Aziraphale usually had good ideas. “You do? What is it?” asked the ichtysia. They leaned forward, supporting themself on their arms. 

“Well,” Aziraphale beamed. “You mentioned that you like the flying land creatures - birds. They come in many shapes, sizes, and especially colors; there are even black ones. So this was the first thing I thought of. One of the black birds is called a ‘crow’. And since you like the sound of your guardname… What would you say to- ‘Crowley?’ Sounds a lot more mature and others would probably catch up on it fast, since it’s similar to the previous one.” He held up a hand. “No need to decide, think about it, you don’t have to swim with it if it’s not perfect-”

Crawly had no idea what a ‘crow’ would look like though, and so they were going to just take Aziraphale’s word for it. The name had a better sound definitely. _“Crawly… Crowly…Crowley”_ the ichtysia whispered the name to themself. Not too different, but it had less of a mocking tone to it.

Their expression slowly brightened. “Hey… I think this works. It feels right.” Who knew a little change could affect a name so much? How silly they had been. If only they had asked Aziraphale in the first place. It could have saved so much time. The god was knowledgeable after all.

Crawly grabbed the deity’s prominent hands and brought them to their chest excitedly. “Thank you!”

Aziraphale’s gills fluttered, and he went still, his fingers splaying out so his hand fully rested on Crawly - no, not anymore - Crowley’s chest, yes. A light daze settled on his senses, making it harder to think and easier to give in to feelings. 

“Splendid,” he whispered, then cupped Crowley’s jaw and leaned closer to kiss them.

Crowley had no clue what Aziraphale was doing, but they... liked it. The way their lips pressed together so tenderly. The warmth of the god's hands on either side of their face. By the time Aziraphale pulled back, the ichtysia was in a daze.

The god withdrew slowly; his cheeks were flushed. His gills flared, releasing large bubbles. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered. “My apologies. It’s not something your kind does but… It’s just-” He squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lower lip. 

“Don’t mind me. It’s getting late, and we have done enough work for today. We should retire. There’s still a lot to see in the palace.”

Crowley placed a finger on their lips, still confused about what Aziraphale had just done. _What was that? What did it mean?_ The ichtysia wanted to ask but the pain in their stomach had returned. They couldn’t help but put their other hand where it hurt. Retiring was the best idea after all. 

Aziraphale glanced down and frowned at the gesture. “Does your-” he bit the sentence off, and he blushed. “I mean… Are you hungry, perhaps?”

Crowley snapped out of it, answering a little too fast. “Huh? Oh yes, hungry, I’m hungry.” They blushed as well. That was close. Aziraphale was catching on to it, wasn’t he? Crowley hated how persistent these cramps were. But now that they thought of it, this blasted pain kept coming back every - Um, probably not a good time to dwell on it.

“So, yeah, hungry… Um.” They noticed how much of a mess the room was after their search. “Let me help you tidy up first?”

“That’s kind of you, yes please,” Aziraphale smiled. “Thank you. Then we’ll grab a late snack, and we’ll call it a day. Hopefully tomorrow will be as delightful as today was.”


	7. Chapter 4 Cover

Lineart by [CatofApocalypse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatofApocalypse/pseuds/CatofApocalypse), coloring by [OKami_hu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OKami_hu)


	8. Chapter Four

The next day was _not at all_ delightful.

At least for Crowley it wasn’t. The ichtysia had woken up in pain again, and this time it was even worse than the night before. The cramps had become noticeably constant when they were preparing for slumber the previous night. They had hoped after a good night’s sleep this would be over. 

They were dead wrong.

The pain was _unbearable_ upon waking up. Crowley had to curl up into a ball of scales and fins, even tried to massage their throbbing stomach. It did help, but only for a while. It soon became apparent that the pain was coming and going in a pattern. Crowley recollected their experiences with it for the past few days and realized they never had such a persistent pain from touching their mating hole before, if that was even the cause of this. Heck, they didn’t even… put their fingers inside.

The pattern was probably the important thing to focus on. Their insides seemed to be contracting, then easing up for a while, before doing it again. It was a familiar kind of pain, but Crowley couldn’t- for the life of them- remember what it was. Until lunch, that was.

Crowley was sitting on one of the rocks in the garden with Aziraphale as they had their food. Mostly Aziraphale, because the ichtysia couldn’t eat a single bite with the way their stomach was tearing themself apart. They could barely register what the god was talking about anymore, solely focusing on the cramping in their stomach.

It was annoying. It was horrible. It was just as excruciating as -

Oh…

The ichtysia bit their lip. The mating ritual was a while ago. It made sense now. They weren’t having pain from touching themself. They were going into that egg-laying time of the year. They had forgotten that it was a thing, having spent most of their attention on their new environment. _Fuck._

“...ley? Crowley! Still with me, dear?” Aziraphale waved his hand before their eyes. “You’ve gone awfully quiet and haven’t even had a bite! Are you alright? You overslept again, and your color looks a little faded. If you get ill, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do much for you-”

Crowley was startled. They quickly shook their head. “No, no, I’m good. I just got lost in thought. That’s all. Don’t worry.” There was a twist inside again, making them shift their tail uneasily. “I’m not sick… Really.”

It seemed like Aziraphale wasn’t buying it this time. “I hate to nag, but aside from the aforementioned symptoms, you keep wincing and sometimes touch your stomach - If it’s the food, feel free to tell me, I wouldn’t want to poison or overfeed you! Remember what I told you about you knowing what’s best for you.”

Crowley’s sharp nails sunk into the fish they were holding. It wasn’t the first time today that Aziraphale had tried to ask them, and the answer had always been the same. And yet the god refused to back down this time. They didn’t want to let the deity know they were going into egg labour. Sure it was a completely normal thing, but not for Crowley.

While other ichtysia had it with little to no pain, for Crowley it had always been the worst. By the time the laying actually started, they doubted they would even be able to move. Just endless pain even after it was done, and the ichtysia didn’t want to be seen in that state. What if Aziraphale ended up being like the rest of the village, and told them they were just being dramatic? It was just egg-laying… 

_Who am I kidding? He’s a god. Of course he would laugh it off..._

The ichtysia felt another series of cramps punch them in the gut and hissed, angry bubbles flaring from their gills.

“I said I’m FINE! Stop asking!” Crowley pushed themself up. “It’s not the damn fish. I- You know what? I don’t even need to eat that much anyway. I’ll do what’s best for me. I’m going back to my room!” They shoved the fish into the god’s hand and swam back into the palace.

Aziraphale blinked a few times, his shoulders slowly sagging. Then, because he had never wasted food in his entire life, he sank his teeth into the fish. 

***

Crowley had ample time to calm down, but inevitably, a shadow appeared by their doorway, quietly looming at first, then moving a little closer.

“May I come in?” Aziraphale asked quietly. He wasn’t angry; his posture was relaxed, his hands folded over his belly.

The ichtysia had gotten back to the same position they’d been in that morning - all curled up in their seaweed nest, their folded arms tucked in between their belly and tail. The sound of Aziraphale’s voice made them flinch.

Crowley regretted that little movement immediately. A cramp made them want to just bite into the seaweeds to not let out a yelp. Thankfully they managed to hold it back, and ended up hugging themself tighter.

“Leave me alone…” the ichtysia groaned, ”I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not,” Aziraphale insisted gently. “You seem to be in pain and I’d like to help if I can. Please tell me how I can help! I can even take you back to the village or fetch a healer, but I don’t want you to suffer. Not in my home.”

"It's not… that serious," Crowley muttered stubbornly. But then they looked at the door and saw the look on Aziraphale’s face. The god looked genuinely concerned. It made their heart throb alongside the pain. 

“I will believe you, but still,” Aziraphale insisted gently. “Please allow me to help. I might be able to- If you decide that you don’t want me here, you can say so, and I’ll leave, I promise. But allow me to touch you at least.”

Crowley hesitated. Aside from their personal healer, they had never had anyone to help them with this. The ichtysia looked away, then back at Aziraphale. Despite wanting to be alone, something in their head was screaming for them to keep the god from leaving. They nodded, then whimpered as another wave of pain hit. It wouldn't be long until the eggs start coming now.

They could tell without even looking when the god settled down behind them; Aziraphale’s heat was hard to miss. The hand that came to rest on their hips was almost scorching hot. 

“Will you tell me what the problem is? It pains me to see you like this.”

Crowley couldn't help but inch back toward the deity's warmth. They relaxed their shoulders at the touch. "I'll tell…" the ichtysia turned their head to give Aziraphale a shy look. "If you promise not to… laugh."

“Why would I laugh…?” The god gently swept a few strands of red hair off Crowley’s forehead. “Come on. I thought I made a better impression. Of course I won’t laugh. Speak, my dear.”

"It's... " Crowley bit the inside of their mouth. "It's stupid…" they admitted. "It really isn't a big deal... I'm probably the only one, acting so… dramatic." _Like a fry that never grew up_.

The ichtysia blushed. They wanted to be like the turtles sometimes, able to just hide their face into a shell whenever. "I'm just…going to lay eggs…" Crowley blurted out finally, burying their face into the mass of seaweed from both pain and embarrassment.

“Eggs-?” Aziraphale frowned. “But- Oh. Ooh, is it that time of the year?” He pressed a hand against his forehead. “How could I have forgotten that…? I can’t believe I forgot that…!” He groaned and muttered something Crowley couldn’t quite understand.

“Of course, the mating dance happened a while ago and now every ichtysia is going to lay their eggs. Well, what a splendid timing, really, even if I had been able to lay mine, they wouldn’t have had the time to settle and you’d have expelled them along with yours…! Uuh.” Aziraphale shook his head. “Well, that’s it, that settles the issue. However-” He looked down at Crowley thoughtfully. 

“Laying the eggs shouldn’t hurt, or at least not this much. I can tell that you’re in serious pain, so that’s a valid problem, it’s not stupid at all. Is it because- I mean, is it related to how you have difficulties with mating? Has it always been like that? I suppose you’ve seen a healer with it, what did they say? How long until the eggs come?”

Even amidst the recurring pain, Crowley had to look at Aziraphale in surprise. The god’s rambling about laying their own eggs didn’t really register as much as the fact that he not only didn’t treat Crowley’s pain like a laughing matter, but also didn’t brush them off. The hurting ichtysia couldn’t believe it. Someone who cared aside from Raphael. 

Crowley shifted closer. The feeling of the soft, warm tentacles pressing against their back was comforting. They curled up from a fainter, but sharp pain, head now pressing to the arch of their folded tail. Unable to speak for a moment, the ichtysia shook their head. It felt like they were being torn from the inside. “I‘unno… Dunno when… but soon...” Crowley summoned their strengths to speak, which came out more of a whimper.

“It’s been… like this,” the ichtysia spoke between the gasping of their neck gills. “They don’t know… what’s wrong… They said my insides are too narrow… Couldn’t loosen up…”

“Aah, I see.” Aziraphale tapped at his chin. “If your channel is too tight, the eggs have a difficulty passing, the friction is too great… and your womb’s entrance is probably tight too, that’s why it hurts so much.” He took a deep breath. 

“Crowley, my dear, I- might be able to help a little indeed. Do you remember when I brought you here and, well, tried to get inside you? I actually managed. I know it hurt, but only after a while. If you let me… I can try it again. My body produces a substance that, uh, is very slippery. It might help your eggs to move more easily. Do you think we should try that? With how much pain you are in now, I don’t even think you’ll feel anything at all. You poor little thing. Every single year, you have to go through this and it’s just not fair.”

The ichtysia whined just from the memory of it. It already hurt so much without anything beside the eggs inside. How could _more_ fit in there? Wouldn’t that just double the pain? It didn’t sound good. Last time Aziraphale had done it, it had felt just as horrible. Crowley shook their head in silence, trembling as they tried to make themself smaller, hoping they would just sink into the nest.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. We’re not doing that,” Aziraphale soothed, caressing the shaking, miserable form. “Would you like me to stay, keep you company? I’ll tell you what, after you’ve laid your eggs, I’ll lay mine. We can go through this together.” He pressed a kiss against Crowley’s shoulder. 

“I know it hurts a lot, but… maybe you should try to relax. Your entire body is so tense and hard. Just try to breathe. You are so strong, Crowley. You’ve done this many times, all alone, no doubt. You are so brave, my darling.”

The kiss loosened the blockage in Crowley’s throat. They let out a painful moan and pressed their forehead against the seaweed. Their body was probably trying to kill them, and there Aziraphale was, with his gentle petting and encouragement. It didn’t take much for Crowley to lean into the soothing. They slowly loosened up their tail, moving it away from their body to give themself some relaxation.

The movement made something inside them shift painfully, and they recoiled into Aziraphale’s body more with a hitch of their breath.

“Ssh, I know it hurts. It’s alright, everything is going to be fine.” Aziraphale’s tentacles curled up in frustration, and he laid down on his side right behind Crowley, drawing them into an embrace. 

“I’m here. I’m not going to leave you alone. You won’t be alone anymore. You will fight through this. Oh my sweet darling, if only I could take your pain…!” His hand began to move in soothing circles over Crowley’s hip. 

“Breathe, darling. Try to relax, let it wash over you like a current. And if you want me to shut up, just- say so.” There was a hint of a laugher in his voice. “My beautiful, strong Crowley, my darling sacrifice. You’re stronger than anyone could imagine.”

The pain was taking its break for now, allowing Crowley to reposition their tail easier. Aziraphale’s warmth had always been nice, and now they were being engulfed by it. The ichtysia moaned softly, finally giving their muscles a rest as they melted into the hug, eyes closing and face nuzzling into the surface they were lying on.

Crowley then whined in disappointment. The seaweeds were comfortable but not enough. It would have been better if they could turn and press into Aziraphale’s softness instead. They wanted to get that warmth from their back to their front where it hurt the most.

“Talk to me, love,” Aziraphale whispered, using a tentacle to keep up the caresses while slipping his hand to Crowley’s stomach and resting it there lightly, barely touching. “Whatever you need, I’ll try to provide. Your comfort is important. _You_ are important.”

“Mmm…” the ichtysia made a little frustrated noise, feeling the warmth so close. They grabbed Aziraphale’s wrist and arched themself forward, forcing the contact. It was the right spot. Just what they needed. 

"Yesss…" Crowley hissed in delight, feeling the pain easing up inside. "H-here… please…"

Aziraphale uttered a soft ‘oh’ and pressed his hand down against the flat belly. “Here, my darling? Is this good? Thank the kind currents. There we go. It shouldn’t take much longer. You’ll get rid of those eggs then have a nice rest and everything will be fine.” He fell silent, his hand moving tenderly. He could feel a small hard bump underneath his palm. 

The ichtysia gasped, feeling the stretching inside that allowed the lump to move. The pain came back again, but something was different from when they were alone. It must have been the god’s caress that helped. Perhaps the deity was using his magic? They had no idea. But it was way less painful now, despite the contraction.

“I’m glad you’re here,” the god whispered. “I had no idea how lonely I was. So beautiful and vibrant, full of life and curiosity, you’re more precious than all the rubies in my treasury.”

Crowley mewled, and this time it had nothing to do with the cramps. They couldn’t believe Aziraphale, the god of their people, was giving them such adulation. They weren’t all that beautiful, or… precious? If they were, the others wouldn’t have… Crowley knew the words weren’t true. Aziraphale was just trying to help them pull through the pain. The deity couldn’t be serious about all this. But Crowley couldn’t bring themself to refuse the praises.

They wanted to feel worthy, even if it was from a lie in the moment.

Crowley found the little noises they were making embarrassing. They wanted to muffle themself. While they could have bitten into their palm, or the weeds, they wanted to try something else. 

“A-Aziraphale…” the ichtysia moaned. “I want… want…” they realized they didn’t know what to call it. They never asked the god what it was. They brought their hand to Aziraphale’s neck, trying to pull his head forward. 

“What do you want, my pearl?” Aziraphale leaned closer. The entire situation was a bit embarrassing - Crowley was miserable, and Aziraphale was torn over their agony, but there was a curious intimacy in it too, and it didn’t leave the god unaffected. Desire welled up in him slowly, a subtle yearning, and it made his temperature rise, his skin flush.

The god’s heat made Crowley press against his soft belly behind them even more. Their eyes half-lidded as they looked at Aziraphale’s beautiful irises. The ichtysia lifted their head, placing their lips on the deity’s, hoping they were correctly reenacting what had happened last night. 

Oh dear. _Oh dear._

Aziraphale barely could hold back from hauling himself over Crowley; but he somehow managed. He had no idea how but then again, conscious thoughts had left him at the touch of those lovely lips, so Aziraphale closed his eyes and moved into the contact, moaning into the kiss. He couldn’t stop at just touching, though; his tongue began to prod forward, trying to slip into Crowley’s mouth, desperate to meet its counterpart.

He only stopped for a moment, to grab Crowley and turn them a little, for a better angle; now they were almost front-to-front, on their sides with Aziraphale leaning over them, one hand still sensually caressing Crowley’s belly.

The ichtysia’s gasp was quieted by the deity’s tongue slipping inside their mouth. Oh, this was new. It was different from what Crowley remembered, but they had no objection to it. 

Crowley wanted to keep the god closer, even closer. They lifted their arms to wrap them over Aziraphale’s shoulders, keeping him from separating from the mouth interaction. Aziraphale’s whole body radiating heat and his feelers wrapping around the end of their tail made them feel like melting. It was good. So good.

As their whole body finally relaxed, both inside and outside, Crowley felt the pain fading. Something hard but smooth was moving inside them, following the guidance of Aziraphale’s gentle rubs. Soon, it slipped out of the ichtysia’s body, rolling to the nest. Crowley moaned, feeling the tension inside them relieved significantly. They broke from the god’s mouth to peer down at the round, brilliantly red egg. 

Aziraphale followed their gaze and he couldn’t help but huff a little laugh. “Well, look at that! What a pretty thing, are they always red?” He caressed Crowley’s face with a fond smile. “Are you feeling a little better? Was- the kiss too much?”

Crowley blushed heavily. They had never felt so self-conscious as this moment Or rather, they had never liked the sight of their own unfertilized eggs. All the pain they always went through just to get them out made the ichtysia resent them. But… Aziraphale called it pretty? And Crowley had to admit, it was. But had the eggs ever been this pretty? Not that they remembered.

The ichtysia nodded shyly. “M’better…” their voice was like a whisper in the current as they smiled, gazing into Aziraphale’s eyes. They really wanted to do that mouth thing again.

“W-was that called… a kiss?’” Crowley asked, licking their upper lip, feeling the phantom sensation of their act. “I… liked it.”

“I really don’t know why we don’t do it,” Aziraphale rolled his eyes. “We’re fully equipped for it, and yet, I had to learn it from humans! Maybe I should teach my people one day. Personally. Including that obnoxious High Priest.” He chuckled, which was followed by Crowley’s own little giggle.

“I’m glad that the pain eased up, and, if you really liked the kiss, I see no reason to not give you more…” He leaned closer and pecked Crowley’s lips, then caressed their belly. The itchtysia arched their body to rub themself against Aziraphale’s warm hand on their lower stomach, shivering.

“How many are there usually? Not that we’re in a rush, I’ll stay here with you until it’s over, no matter how long it takes.”

Crowley’s little smile turned into a lopsided one. Right, they had forgotten about that. ”Um... “ they writhed, not wanting to think about the pain so soon. “I can’t really say… It’s usually… six or seven,” the ichtysia sighed.

“Hmm. We’ll be here for a while, then,” Aziraphale mused, and he curled an arm around Crowley’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, my dear. It’s going to be fine, and you are doing so well. You’re so relaxed now, just keep it up. You’re one amazing little fish.”

"M'not," Crowley pouted. They knew it wasn't real. The deity was just helping them feel better. Still, they appreciated it.

Since they would have to wait for the next contraction, the ichtysia let themself lie down on their side. They looked up at Aziraphale and thought it looked tiring for the god to keep himself above them like that.

"You should lie down too," Crowley smiled at him with appreciation," I don't know when the next one will come."

Aziraphale obeyed, settling down and shyly slipping his many legs around Crowley, carefully tugging on their body until they were face-to-face. “Yes, it’s better like this. So… Will you help me lay my eggs?”

"Oh, o-of course," Crowley replied. They had never helped anyone lay eggs, let alone a god. And the idea of trying to return what Aziraphale had done for them made the ichtysia's skin blush almost as red as their hair.

"But I don't know how..." honestly Crowley believed they were the last merperson anyone would ask for egg laying help from.

“I have it easier, so no worries.” Aziraphale began to thread his fingers through Crowley’s hair. “Beyond your mating hole, there’s a channel, and a penetrator. In my body, those are basically the same. My penetrator tentacle can change its shape, and the eggs travel through it until they pop out at the end. I can do it on my own, but it feels nice when someone touches me. You can gently massage the eggs out, that’s all. I want to get rid of them fast.”

Crowley listened attentively, frowned when trying to imagine what the organ looked like from the description. "I think I can do that," they spoke softly, "D-do you want me to? Right now?"

“Hmm, I did say we’ll lay them together didn’t I?” Aziraphale shrugged. “It’s only my will that keeps them inside, I waited for too long.” He began to arrange his legs, moving them aside to expose his underbelly. 

“Um, let me shift a little… You’ll need to reach under me. Trace my body with your hand, until you find a hole. Then wait a little and don’t be startled when something slips into your palm.”

Crowley nodded dutifully. Aziraphale helped them so it was only fair they would do it for the god. They wanted to make it up for him also, for their burst of anger earlier in the garden. While the act sounded a little awkward, remembering the few nights ago, they were determined to try.

The ichtysia pushed themself up by the arms, noting the distant pain in their belly. They waited for a moment to see if it was the sign of a contraction but thankfully, it wasn't yet. Crowley moved themself closer to the deity's lower body, curiously stroking the tentacles they usually dared not touch. They were squishy, kind of, and very responsive. The ichtysia chuckled when one of them flinched at their finger but then relaxed into the stroking.

"Are you prepared now?" asked Crowley, feeling eager to help.

“Yes, my dear,” Aziraphale nodded, clearly amused. “Are you?” 

The question made Crowley hesitate. They suddenly were all self-aware of how anxious they were about this. It had started bubbling alongside the ghostly pain in their womb. Crowley felt their cheeks warm up as they reached into the now exposed part of Aziraphale's body.

As expected, the god was just as soft down here too. The ichtysia tried their best to not accidentally hurt him with their claws, in spite of how strange that might have sounded. A god, hurt by a mere merperson. It felt like a joke. Either way, Crowley was as careful as they could be about it.

"It's so warm. You're so warm," the ichtysia commented in awe. They had thought the god couldn't have gotten any hotter until their palm touched the flesh between the tentacles. It made Crowley want to just snuggle themself against there. But no, that would be weird… As instructed, their fingers felt gently around, until there seemed to be a gap. The heat coming out from there was even stronger!

Aziraphale’s eyes closed and his gills fluttered. He wasn’t lying when he said it’d feel nice… Just failed to mention how nice it’d really feel for him to have a soft hand feel around the most sensitive parts of his body, where he was most vulnerable…

“You like the heat, don’t you?” he asked, his voice airy. “If you’re cold… You can ask me to warm you up. Mmh.” He bit his lower lip and concentrated. 

“Remember: don’t be scared.” The hole rippled under Crowley’s fingers and- it was hard to tell what happened exactly, but suddenly there was something in Crowley’s palm, something short and blunt and thin; but then it swelled, becoming as thick as the ichtysia’s delicate wrist and lengthening.

“Be careful,” Aziraphale advised, the tips of his legs curling. “It’s very sensitive. But you can squeeze and tug it a little, if you’re curious.” 

The ichtysia really didn’t need to be warned to know that this was something they should treat with the utmost care. They knew how sensitive the penetrators were, from their short experiences with them during the first few mating dances they attended. Crowley’s fingers curled around the shape, estimating the size. It finally occurred to them that this was what had entered them on the first day. Now it made sense why it hurt so much. The thing was… quite thicker than a common one - or at the very least, the ones Crowley had seen. They wondered if they should use both hands…

Crowley lowered themself closer to the god’s underbelly. They couldn’t help but pull one of the many legs to put them around their back, wanting to be held close to the heat as they worked. They supported the underside of the organ with one hand, and used the other to stroke along the length of it, very delicately. 

“Is this how you want it?” they asked, wanting to know if the god wanted less or more.

Aziraphale’s hands curled into the seaweed bedding. “Y-yes. That’s right, you’re doing wonderfully, my dear. Now let me- Ah, it’s hard to keep them in when you hold me like this.” He chuckled a little.

“At the base, you’ll feel the egg slipping into it. Just gently coax it along the entire length.”

“Okay…” Crowley said, swallowing nervously. They hoped they wouldn’t end up doing anything wrong and hurt Aziraphale. They used their stroking hand to reach higher, until they had touched the wall of flesh at the very end. There weren't eggs yet, and Crowley idly massaged the shaft until a little lump touched their palm.

“Ah, I think it’s here,” they grinned, unable to hide the excitement of being able to help. They stroked over the round bump, applying a bit of pressure here and there to guide it down.

“Mmh, yes… yes, that’s it, that’s it…” Aziraphale’s voice trembled and he pressed his face against his arm. Ooh, it felt so good! 

“By the darkest depths, love, you’re doing so well…! Please don’t stop until it’s out…!”

The ichtysia held back a squirm. They hadn’t been called ‘love’ before they met Aziraphale. That was new, and everytime they heard the word, it made them a bit warmer inside. Something inside clenched, but Crowley bit back their reaction. They needed to get this one egg out of Aziraphale. They were determined to do so.

They gently knead the rubbery skin with their thumb, encouraging the hard lump to move. Though it would have been much better if they were able to see the organ, so they could know how far it had gotten. Their hand on the underside of the shaft felt around for the open end of the egg tube. “Just a little more,” announced Crowley. They shifted their tail, hiding another wave of cramps of their own. It urged the ichtysia to not waste any time. Crowley’s thumb pushed stronger, but hopefully not too much, to have the egg skip its last few inches and popped out into their waiting hand.

It was a beautiful shade of blue, with a shimmer that reminded Crowley of the things humans called gold. “Ooh,” they gasped, carefully holding it in both hands.

“Yeah,” Aziraphale’s smile was somewhat dazed. “Mine tend to be blue… I wonder what they’d look like if we could have them together…” He lay back and ran his fingers through his hair. “That was… er, quick. Effective. You did splendidly, my dear. How are you holding up? I don’t think there should be such a long pause between your eggs.”

Crowley winced as they were reminded of the pain they were trying to ignore. “Uh… It’s... “ they couldn’t really hide it anymore, could they? “I wanted to help you first,” with a soft blush, the ichtysia admitted. “But it’s just starting, don’t worry.”

They turned to gently place the blue egg next to the red one and marvelled at the contrast. “Yours is bigger,” they giggled, completely forgetting to consider _that_ was supposed to be inside them, had they let the god do it last time. 

“Just a tad,” Aziraphale said defensively. “Now come here. You’ve got quite a bit of work ahead of you and I want you to get comfortable.” He opened his arms. “Come, my little fish. Hopefully the rest of it won’t be as harrowing.”

Crowley, of course, was delighted to oblige. They liked what the god had done for them a lot, even the idea of producing six more eggs didn’t sound as horrid as they always perceived. The ichtysia moved back to lie down on Aziraphale. They wiggled away from the tentacle to have their belly pressed against the deity’s own. The warmth made them shudder and had to hold back a moan.

“Is it okay to stop though? You only laid one. Will you be okay?” they asked.

“I can control my body quite well. With one out, the pressure eased a bit, so it’s not as urgent anymore but I do want to get rid of all of them today.” Aziraphale pulled Crowley closer for a kiss. 

“I know what I’m doing, my dear. Let’s trust each other with knowing what’s best for us. And, let us do our best during the following hours.”

“Mmm...” Crowley hummed into the touch of their mouths again. It sent a shiver throughout their body, in a really nice way. They nuzzled their face in the crook of Aziraphale’s neck, nodding in agreement to his words.

The tension inside them came back after a few minutes, causing the ichtysia to tremble and press closer to the deity’s heated body. “Ugh… I think it’s… back now,” Crowley moaned, pouting. “O..ow..” 

“Ssh. Relax.” Ten arms curled around Crowley, two around his shoulders, four around his tail; the rest began to massage his back, waist and hips.

“Oh, you feel so right in my embrace,” Aziraphale whispered. “Hold me, my dear and kiss me all you want.”

The ichtysia melted into the god’s hold. Yes. More kisses. Just what they wanted. 

Crowley pressed their lips on Aziraphale’s jaw since they haven’t gotten themself to a good position yet. They twisted their body to loosen up the grip around them and used Aziraphale’s shoulders to pull themself forward some more. Their mouth soon found his soft lips and began kissing him.

With one arm behind the deity’s neck, they used the unoccupied hand to feel their lower belly. Crowley could feel a new bump there and attempted to help it along. Though, it appeared that their channel had closed again after the short break. A sharp pain made them gasp, breaking from the mouth contact.

Their body tried to curl up out of habit, but the tentacles held them still. Crowley whimpered, rubbing their stomach against Aziraphale for comfort instead.

“It looks like your stomach needs some attention,” Aziraphale mused. “Allow me-” He easily turned them on their sides. Their bodies were still pressed flush together, but the god was able to worm his hand between them. 

“It seems to me that you like the heat,” he murmured. “Maybe my touch will help your insides to relax, too.” He began to rub Crowley’s belly up and down, applying just enough pressure.

“Yess~ Mmmm…Very much,” the ichtysia made little gasps and hums. The pain was slowly fading away again, faster than last time - now that Crowley told themself to not tense up and lean into the warmth.

“Yes, that’s it; just like that,” Aziraphale murmured, nuzzling Crowley’s red tresses. “See? It’s much better already. Let those eggs come.” He fell silent for a while, pressing tiny kisses against Crowley’s forehead. 

“You know... despite the situation that brings them forth, I rather… like those little noises you make.”

Crowley hitched a breath in surprise at the compliment. Their abdominal muscles contracted, making them yelp from the painful spasm. They clung to Aziraphale, nails digging into his shoulder as they moaned. Crowley buried their face in his neck, sobbing, “N- no… it’s… emba...embarrassing.”

“No, they aren’t…!” Aziraphale chuckled. “They’re cute! I like to hear your voice. I just hope that I’ll be able to coax them forth in much better circumstances, too.” His hand slipped a little lower, the heel of his palm still applying pressure to the belly; but his warm fingers found the edges of the ichtysia’s mating hole and traced them gently.

“It’s unfair that you can’t mate,” the god whispered. “You’d be even more beautiful when taken with pleasure.”

“Ahn-” Crowley gasped into Aziraphale’s skin, their hips jerking forward at the touch. The ichtysia squirmed, making little mewls.

Aziraphale wasn’t wrong. Crowley had wished this was a different situation, where the god didn’t treat them this way because he pitied their suffering. The lonely ichtysia wished Aziraphale had done this without any sort of influences but their own affection. Despite everything the deity had been telling them, Crowley still found it hard to believe any of it wasn’t just exaggeration for encouragement.

They knew they were desperate for validation, and it was miserable to sink into the lies just to feel any better about themself. Probably in any other circumstances, Aziraphale wouldn’t have wanted to touch them so intimately down there. _He was just helping. He didn’t mean any of this,_ the whispers in their head had been telling them the whole time. Why would a god want to mate with them? He only wanted to lay his eggs, didn’t he? Any other ichtysia could have sufficed. 

The thoughts were making them sad, and Crowley didn’t want to let it be known. They turned to find ways to hide their little whines, nibbling into Aziraphale’s shoulder as more waves of pleasure made their tail twitch. Their hips continued to push into the touch. The ichtysia didn’t think they deserved it, but it was too good to resist. They couldn’t stop their body from reacting to it.

Their inner wall once again started loosening up, and Aziraphale could feel the egg inching down, following the applied pressure.

“There it comes! The second one is on its way!” Aziraphale cheered. “You’re doing so well, my dear! Keep it up!” He brought his hand up to tip Crowley’s chin, so he could kiss them. “Should I touch you more? Do you like that?” 

As much as Crowley wanted to say that this was enough, that the god had done plenty more than they ever expected to have done already, the ichtysia needily brushed their lips against Aziraphale’s. They didn’t want this to end. “P-please,” they whimpered, “I’d like… so very much.”

“There’s no need to beg; it’s my pleasure.” Aziraphale put his hand back where it was. The egg was close to the opening now. 

“Just out of curiosity, can you push them? And, ah. If you want to, feel free to touch me.”

"I- can…" Crowley muttered with a little embarrassed blush. "I- I'll try. It usually hurts to push.."

But if they were to be honest, how Aziraphale had been getting the egg out felt so good, making the ichtysia forget they could have at least help.

Biting their lips, Crowley took a few deep breaths to calm down. They could feel the egg already at the very end of their channel. It shouldn't be so hard. They squeezed their eyes shut and told their muscles to work.

It was significantly better than the rest of the other times they had tried it on their own. After two tries, another red egg fell from their body and they slumped onto Aziraphale again in relief. 

They were generously rewarded with a deep, passionate kiss, Aziraphale’s tongue dipping deep into their mouth. 

“I thought of something,” the deity said, with a definite eagerness in their voce. “You lay one, I lay one. We can help each other out. I’m not going to lie… When you stroked me, it felt so good. I’d like more, if that’s alright.”

Crowley giggled in a daze after the intense kiss, fixing their hair away from their eyes, and propped themself up on their elbow, with their arms folded on Aziraphale’s chest. “I wouldn’t be opposed to that.“ Their grin faded to a small smile, cheeks flushing darker, “It’s all I could do to return your generosity.”

“Right. It’s my turn to help you,” Crowley cleared their throat and wiggled out of the god’s grip to move the egg they had just laid. Wouldn’t want to accidentally squish them. The ichtysia put it next to the previous two, then repositioned themself at the deity’s lower body. They stared at the mass of tentacles and wondered if the egg tube was still out. 

_Only one way to find out._


	9. Chapter 5 cover

By [OKami_hu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OKami_hu)


	10. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to the betas, PastelPenguin and [MelayneSeaHawk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelayneSeahawk/pseuds/MelayneSeahawk)!

It quickly turned out that the answer was yes. Aziraphale flushed to a lovely color as Crowley coaxed the second egg out of him; it joined its brethren on the side, soon to be followed by more. 

While waiting for the next contraction, they talked a bit, Aziraphale raining praise on his guest and making sure they felt alright. However, as time passed, the conversation died entirely, replaced by more kisses and more touches, both growing increasingly fervent. 

Crowley’s body found a rhythm, it seemed, and the pain lessened with every egg. The fourth one’s glide was near seamless and the fifth followed shortly after. The ichtysia kept making those endearing little noises; however, much to Aziraphale’s delight, they were turning into noises of pleasure. 

The god felt guilty about it, deep down. There was a chance of Crowley’s system realizing what was happening, that this was practically mating, but it got harder and harder to find the will to care. Aziraphale wasn’t unaffected by the mating drive; he needed release and every touch of Crowley’s hand pushed him closer to it.

But, at the same time, he was terrified. He was afraid that all the affection he felt toward the ichtysia was merely a product of his altered state, that all the sweet things he so easily whispered will turn out to be a lie - and he really didn’t want to hurt Crowley.

And yet, he couldn’t stop. Once the fifth ruby egg was deposited, the god was wild with lust. Though at least this wasn’t a selfish desire; he was aching to give, to show Crowley something they probably never felt - pure, intense pleasure.

“One more,” he growled as he flipped the trembling, dark body on its back. “One more to go.” He promptly buried his face into Crowley’s lap, covering their flat stomach with ravenous kisses, kneading their hips forcefully. His lips encountered the mating hole and Aziraphale began licking it without a second thought. 

Crowley gasped in shock the moment they were made to lie on their back. They didn't know what Aziraphale was planning on doing, but the peppered kisses made them twist and turn, mewling into the current. The ichtysia looked down at the god.

Their eyes widened when his mouth reached the fin covering their mating hole. 

"Ahhn, A-Aziraphale, w-what are y-" their question was cut short, as they moaned out loudly. The ichtysia reacted to the lick with their whole body. Their hips rolled up, pressing their hole against the source of pleasure. They slapped a hand over their mouth, head jerking back. The other hand clawed the bedding so strong they actually tore it.

Aziraphale practically devoured the creature in his grip; he never hurt Crowley, never even scratched a single scale or inch of skin, but he curled his arms around Crowley’s waist and kept kissing and licking, sometimes even dragging his - thankfully blunt - teeth over the smooth flesh. 

“I want to see you surge,” he growled; his voice was more like a monster’s. “You deserve all I can give. I want to give you this.” His tongue dipped into the hole, hot and insistent. 

“S-surge?” gasped Crowley. “I… hah…I can’t...” Arm covering their eyes, they tried to speak between breaths. Crowley had never done that ‘surge’ thing before. The other ichtysia kept talking about it but for Crowley, it remained a mystery. 

The heat of Aziraphale’s mouth alone made them arch. They had never felt anything this amazing before. The flexible, hot tongue sent gushes of arousal through them but eventually concentrated itself in their stomach. The ichtysia moaned loudly, their inner wall involuntarily fluttered so strongly they could feel the vibration.

And Crowley realized they weren’t hurting at all. This was… different. 

All the movement inside pushed the egg into the channel and now it was making its way smoothly towards the entrance. Aziraphale felt it under his palm; he responded by slotting his mouth against the mating hole and worming his tongue into the loose, relaxed channel. Then, he _sucked_.

Crowley’s eyes shot open at the new sensation, head lolling back. Their chest arched forward and they gripped both hands on Aziaphale’s shoulders to hold themselves from bolting away. The egg inside them was pulled forward from both the contractions and Aziraphale’s act.

“A-Azira-phale…!” they moaned out. This was making them feel weird inside. A new kind of tension. Something was indeed coming, and it wasn’t just the egg.

Aziraphale wiggled his tongue, lapping up the fluids Crowley’s body produced. The ichtysia was so different now - relaxed, warmer, eager, and most importantly, aroused. Their scent was getting to Aziraphale and he wanted to bury himself into that warmth so badly!

But he couldn’t, not yet, not for a while. Crowley’s pleasure was more important. The egg reached the last third of its way and Aziraphale remembered something about ichtysia anatomy. He pressed his thumb firmly against Crowley’s belly, blocking the egg’s path and kept teasing them with his tongue, reaching as far as he could. 

Crowley made a confused moan, looking down at the god’s finger blocking their egg from coming out. Why would Aziraphale do that?! Though they didn’t get to dwell on the question.

That tension inside them was getting stronger, but instead of pain, it felt incredibly good. The ichtysia soon realized that every time the egg rubbed against their flesh there, it sparked a new kind of sensation.

“Hyahhnn… Azi… Aziraph-phale.. If you…” they gasped as the tension within threatened to burst. “If you keep… Ahn…I- I’m going- to…” Their hands slid up to take hold of the deity’s pale hair.

“That’s the plan,” Aziraphale growled - at this point, he wasn’t really able to communicate normally. Even his appearance was slipping, his color darkened, his shoulders gained some width, his blunt teeth sharpened to fangs - and his tongue became even longer and more agile, and entirely merciless in its attempts at driving Crowley into a frenzy.

In a well timed moment, the lick of Aziraphale's tongue and the way his thumb applied pressure became too much for Crowley. They howled, gripping the god's head so his face pressed against their belly. They arched again, moaning out something incoherent. Their walls tightened around the egg, as they felt something finally leave them.

It started deep inside their belly then rippled through their entire body to the tip of their ears and the tip of their tail. It erupted, like blood from a wound; it tore through them with monstrous teeth and Crowley wailed and thrashed in the god’s grip. Their channel contracted but instead of the usual horrible pain, there was a horrible pleasure, a new wave of it again and again until they couldn’t see, or talk, or hear anything aside the pounding of their own heart.

Aziraphale watched like a predator, his mouth open, his gills flaring; Crowley’s pheromones saturated the water around them and it was nearly enough to push the deity over the edge. 

The final egg slipped out of the quivering hole; Aziraphale carelessly tossed it to the pile, then he slipped closer, to lie by the side of that lovely, trembling, incoherent mess. He nuzzled Crowley and his clawed hands threaded through their ruby tresses.

Aziraphale still had one egg left to lay and his insides pulsed impatiently; still, he waited for the ichtysia to get back their bearings.

Had mercreatures been able to cry, Crowley would have been a sobbing mess next to the sea god by now. The ichtysia had slumped on their back, shaking in the aftershock of their first true orgasm. They couldn't move or speak for a long time, only able to make quiet whines and whimpers as they slipped in and out of consciousness.

They never thought it could be so incredible. Words could only describe so much. Crowley now felt like all this time they had been robbed of something, and finally today were given back. By none other than the god of their people.

The heat in their body began to die down, leaving the ichtysia cold and lonely again.The water reeked of their own and Aziraphale's lustful taste. It made them want to hide in embarrassment.

Crowley turned to be facing Aziraphale, shyly wrapped a hand around his waist to pull him closer. The ichtysia sunk into the warmth of the deity, still lacking the capacity to utter coherent words.

Aziraphale, still fighting with his true nature, wasn’t ready to talk, either; instead, he let a low sound rumble in his throat as he possessively curled every single arm he had around Crowley.

After some time, their breathing fell into a calming rhythm. Crowley smiled into Aziraphale's chest, sighing with contentment. The silence felt good. It had been a wild afternoon with the god. The water had changed color to a dimmer shade. The both of them really had lost track of time.

Crowley finally noticed the differences in the deity's form now that the white spots in their vision were gone, and the sand over their mind had been shaken off. It was almost like when they first met, but to a lesser degree. And that rumble in the god's chest was strangely soothing to the ichtysia's ears.

"Aziraphale…" whispered Crowley, looking up. "T-thank you." Crowley didn't know how to fully express their gratitude. They weren't that good with words. But they wanted to thank him for all the kind words and the time he had wasted taking care of a good-for-nothing creature like them.

Why wouldn't their heart stop thumping?

“You’re very welcome,” Aziraphale nodded. He calmed down too, even though his insides were still squirming. It was time to do something about that. “I could use your help though, I still have one egg left. Would you return the favor? Then you can rest if you want… As for myself, I'm going to grab a fish, my control slips when I’m hungry.”

"Of course I'll help!" Crowley couldn't keep themself from giving Aziraphale a quick peck on the lips again. Ever since learning about this kissing thing, they just kept wanting to practice.

Though they suddenly got a thought that made them blush and averted their gaze, playing with the end of their hair. "C-can a god feel that way too? That feeling you gave me. Can you feel it too?"

“I’m quite sure you can figure out what that ‘feeling’ was,” Aziraphale teased. “But yes… gods can feel it, too. In fact- every time you touched me between the feelers, I’ve felt it to an extent, but… Admittedly, by now I’m quite ready to see it through. It won’t take much.” He took Crowley’s hand and solemnly kissed the knuckles. “Will you help me reach the peak?”

Crowley looked up at the god’s eyes and their heart jumped once more. It sounded like such an honor. Heck, it was already an honor to be able to touch Aziraphale. But the way he said it just now made the ichtysia feel like they had blushed redder than their hair.

“Y-yes, I want to make you feel good,” they wiggled out of his grasp to swim their way into position. When they got to the familiar spot in front of the tentacles, Crowley reached in. But then, they titled their head thoughtfully, then lifted their eyes.

“Um… A-Aziraphale. I… is it okay if I… bring it out? I…” their voice got quieter, eyes lowering, “I want to see.”

“Sure, it’s alright, but- it’s not long enough. Let me-” Aziraphale turned on his back and slowly spread his tentacles, exposing more and more of his underbelly. Soon enough, Crowley was able to see - even better than the last time, since they were closer now.

The penetrator was still out, pulsing subtly, begging for a touch. Aziraphale worried his teeth over his lower lip, looking almost shy. 

“There you have it. Treat it kindly. I, uh. I think it, too, deserves a little love.”

Crowley could hardly register anything else. Their attention was full on the body part, now that they could actually get a closer look. They stroked along the length with curiosity, entranced by the size of it. The ichtysia could tell it was longer and thicker than anything their people had, but to see with their own eyes was fascinating.

They started massaging the external channel the same way they had been doing these past hours. The only difference was that now they were trying to figure out how to make Aziraphale feel good. It wasn’t long until they noticed if they pressed their thumb at a particular spot, the organ twitched. They applied pressure again, moving their thumb in small circles as they did, to see what would happen.

Apparently, Crowley wasn’t the only one to make noises. Aziraphale whimpered, his eyes closing in bliss; he curled his fingers into the seaweed and shifted his hips restlessly. Soon, the last egg appeared and the deity gasped. ”F-finally…!”

He didn’t stop squirming though, and judging by the not-so-subtle signs, like the swelling, flaring gills and the more vibrant color, he was definitely experiencing something. He even brought a tentacle up and clutched it, just like before. 

“Please don’t stop…!”

Crowley saw the lump rising at the base of the tube and dutifully reached a hand to start fondling it, while their other hand still rubbed the sensitive spot they had found. They got more and more excited the more sounds came from Aziraphale. The way the deity flushed and whimpered was… cute?

Well, that was a word Crowley never thought they would use to describe the being their people worshipped.

Coaxing the egg was easy, now that the ichtysia had gotten skilled at it. But they wanted Aziraphale to surge as well, even if they weren’t sure how exactly. Good thing though, Crowley was an imitation learner. They didn’t know if it worked the same, but it was worth a try.

Crowley got the egg to the sensitive spot they were stimulating, and kept it there between their thumb and middle finger, using it to rub Aziraphale both in and outside. Their other hand lifted the rest of the egg channel slightly up and they licked the entrance.

Aziraphale let out an undignified yelp and he stared at Crowley, wide-eyed and flushed. 

“D-do that again…!” he whimpered and gathered two more of his tentacles into his arms to cuddle them. The tips curled and uncurled. “M-mind your teeth but- That felt so good!”

He could tell that his orgasm was close. The little fish was quick on the uptake! Some more coaxing and finally his system would settle and then, Aziraphale knew, he would be able to think clearly again. He both dreaded the moment and yearned for it.

Crowley’s earfins perked up, the tip of their tail wiggling in excitement. They were doing it right! The ichtysia continued stimulating the twitching flesh in their hands. They inserted their tongue further in, licking the top wall of the channel. The taste of Aziraphale’s lubricant was tenderly sweet, like a kind of kelp he had in his garden.

“Mmmm..” the mercreature hummed, then they mimicked the deity’s act earlier, sucking at the lips of the organ while easing their pressure on the egg to allow it to shift forward some more.

Aziraphale was whining loudly, sharp teeth clamping down on their lower lip. He never received a treatment like this before and, frankly, it was mind blowing! On second thought, maybe it was a little unfair to do this to an unsuspecting ichtysia… The irony tasted salty. Or was that blood?

Finally, the tension reached its breaking point and Aziraphale tossed his head back with a roar. He gripped his own legs so tight, the flesh bruised but he wasn’t aware, he couldn’t sense anything else but the sweet release washing over him like a wave, quick and violent and so, so welcome. 

His penetrator jerked in Crowley’s grip, the rhythmic contractions trying to push the eggs out; the added pressure made Aziraphale keen. When the overwhelming sensation finally quieted, he slumped back boneless, his tentacles slipping from his grip. 

He felt both utterly exhausted and utterly satisfied. And sort of hungry.

Crowley held the tube in one hand and let the egg fall on their waiting palm beneath. The egg channel slowly softened, but still continued to tremble and twitch subtly in their hand, prompting them to think of a way to soothe it.

They placed a gentle kiss on the skin on the upper side at the tip of Aziraphale's ovipositor. Then, the ichtysia carefully placed it down and dropped the egg into the pile. Finally, they swam up to check on the deity.

"Are you alright? Do you need anything else?" asked Crowley, cupping the god's face in their hands. 

“Three days of sleep and a very large fish,” Aziraphale moaned, but he curled his arms around Crowley instead. “You’ll do for the moment, though.” He kissed the ichtysia deeply, full of gratitude.

“Thank you, I needed that. I’m fine, perfectly fine. You did so well.” He kissed the tip of Crowley’s nose. “Are you alright? I’ve put you through a lot. I hope you’re not going to hate me for it.”

"M'okay," Crowley sighed, resting their head against the god's body, arms hugging around him to take in more warmth. "Why would I hate you? You helped me. I couldn't thank you enough." Well, _something_ in their body was a little tingly after helping and hearing Aziraphale's moaning, but that wasn't important. 

“I did something to you that could’ve gone wrong,” Aziraphale said quietly. “I couldn’t be sure that your body would take it well. I’m glad it did, but--now you know something that was denied you and who knows if you’ll be able to experience it again? If we could-” he bit the sentence off. 

“I… need a little time,” he continued finally. “There’s something I need to think over now that I don’t have to fight my instincts. Not to mention that now that the eggs have been laid… Oh dear.” He buried his face into Crowley’s hair. “I’m in so much trouble…! I don’t want to think about it. I just want to rest and- eat, eventually.” He caressed Crowley’s cheek with the backs of his fingers. 

“There’s still time until it gets dark. I’ll go and catch dinner, because if not, you’ll have to sleep with a rather scary god.”

Whatever that trouble was, Crowley decided it could wait until later. The god was tired and they didn't want him to be bothered by questions.

"I can…" they tried to say but it drowned in a yawn. The softness and warmth made them sleepy now. But they didn't want Aziraphale to go and leave them cold. "I can help…"

“We can take the eggs down with us… The fish will eat them. They don’t have any use… Unless _you’d_ like to eat them.” Aziraphale chuckled. “Back in the day, the ichtysia used to do that, is it still a custom?” He pushed themselves up, his arms securely around Crowley. “Then, if you’d like that, you can come to my room to sleep. We’ll change the seaweed tomorrow. And next time, we’ll do any egg-laying business in the garden.”

The ichtysia made a grimace at the idea of eating one’s own eggs. Eating another merperson’s? They could see that, but not their own, especially not fertilized ones. “No, I don’t think we do that… anymore? The High Priest said it’s only for when we are in dire need. Um… I’m not very old in the village. So I don’t know...” They yawned again and propped up with a sleepy smile. “I think we should go. I heard your tummy growl.”

***

That night, Aziraphale had decided to invite Crowley to share his nest after they had had a good meal. Reluctant at first, the ichtysia accepted the offer eventually. It turned out to be quite pleasant, to have Aziraphale’s strong arms and flexible appendages curling around them as they listened to the god talk about the many animals he had seen on land. Crowley had no idea when they had fallen asleep, but when they opened their eyes.... 

They were alone.

Alarmed, Crowley bolted up, turning around to take in their surrounding. There was nothing but endless darkness.

“Aziraphale?!” they called into the void.

There was no reply.

Just as Crowley’s breathing was picking up, and they had started to panic, something emerged from beside them as if they had always been there but concealed in the shadows. Not something. Several, to be exact. They were all tentacles. Similar to that of Aziraphale’s, but the color was a bit grim, in contrast to the god’s yellow and bright blue patterns. 

The ichtysia flinched back, frowning at them warily. But then, one of the many appendages reached out, turning their underside up in an inviting gesture. Then, as the merperson continued to show skepticism, they withdrew slightly. Crowley thought they had gone crazy, but it looked sad almost…

While they didn’t think it was a good idea to approach them, there wasn’t much of an option. Crowley moved closer and touched the tip of the sad tendril. It perked up and lovingly curled around their hand. The logical reaction would have been to pull back. Yet, all Crowley could do was move their head to scan their surroundings as the tentacle gently tugged them forward.

After a while, Crowley became rather confused. Nothing changed, everything was still dark. Though, at the same time, it felt - oddly nice. Familiar. Like they had been in this empty darkness before and knew that nothing here would try to harm them. 

The sudden feeling of something grabbing them was all the more jarring. Someone or something got a secure grip on Crowley and began to pull them away from the tentacles still loosely curled around them. 

Crowley writhed, trying to shake off the new, alarming hold and the tentacles fought to hold them back as well, but they were eventually ripped from their warmth. Dread welled up in the ichtysia and they heard a scream that wasn’t their own before they blacked out.

They woke with a startled gasp, but they could immediately feel the god’s warmth close by and that relaxed them fast. Crowley smiled a little; maybe the tentacles in their dream belonged to Aziraphale; after all, he did have a few curled around Crowley’s tail. The ichtysia wiggled a little bit closer and closed their eyes. They weren’t going to let themself be dragged away from that lovely embrace the second time.

***

The next morning was easily the best Aziraphale had in a long, long time. Once he opened his eyes and glimpsed the soundly sleeping Crowley, his heart swelled. He wasn’t alone, and the incessant urges were gone with the eggs; he could think rationally, free of the mating drive. 

He watched the ichtysia sleep and tried to take a mental step back. Was this a person he wanted around, to share the palace with? Was he still eager to tell them things, show them little wonders, and hopefully, share a few heated moments as well? 

It didn't take long to find the answer. It was a loud, resounding ‘yes’; he still wanted Crowley in every sense of the word. Aziraphale closed his eyes and curled another arm around the ichtysia. Of course, it was Crowley’s decision, but nothing was keeping the sea-god from trying to woo them just as ardently as before.

It was a while longer until the ichtysia showed signs of consciousness. Crowley stirred in Aziraphale’s arms, then pressed their cheek closer to the deity’s chest, smiling. A few more minutes and they stretched, twisting their slender body, arching their back. Then their arm was back on the god’s chest again, sleepily hugging him close with a happy hum.

“Good morning, love,” Aziraphale murmured, running a hand down Crowley’s back. “Slept well? Dreamt of anything? Are you feeling alright?”

Crowley’s eyes fluttered open, still half-lidded. “G’morning,” they yawned softly. They took a moment to fully register the state of their body and were surprised there wasn’t any day-after pain like usual after laying their eggs. It was a good sign.

“I’m feeling better. I hope you are, too.” They turned to lay on their belly. “I thought you would be out getting food. You’re always up earlier than me.” 

“Today, you’re up early.” Aziraphale laughed. “Then again, it’s not easy to tell… you’ve been here for a few days only, and spent most of it being miserable. I’m glad you’re better now.” He leaned closer, swept the hair off Crowley’s back and placed a kiss between the shoulder blades. 

“We can stay in the nest for a while, but as every new day brings new possibilities, we should get back to touring the palace. I have four more rooms full of words and another treasury. Not to mention those two rooms where I keep secrets.”

“Secrets,” Crowley’s eyes brightened up in excitement, but then they hesitated.. “I’d like to see everything. But… if it’s a secret, should I learn about it? Would it still be a secret anymore if I knew?”

Aziraphale laughed again. “Mine aren’t those kinds of secrets. More like- knowledge that not a lot of people possess. I’m interested in how things work, so I’ve studied life - even the ichtysia. Also, there are things I’m not sure you’d understand - not because you’re not smart enough, they’re just awfully complex. Like magic. How I set up my barriers, how I could talk to you even if we’re miles away… Perhaps ‘mysteries’ is the better word here, instead of secrets. You might not even like my laboratory. But you’ll appreciate the crystals, if for no other reason than because they’re pretty.”

“Ooh!” the ichtysia’s mouth went round, then they grinned widely. “I like everything you told me so far. Your knowledge is amazing,” Crowley enthused. “I want to know more. I don’t think there’s anything you want to show me that I won’t like! Oh, can I do magic too? It sounds so interesting! Can we see the mysteries first? Is it possible?” They spoke rapidly, vibrating with excitement.

Aziraphale laughed and rolled on his back, pulling Crowley on top of him. “Slow down a little! There’s plenty of time…” He fell silent and glanced away. 

“I mean… You said you don’t really want to go back to the village. I offered to let you stay here… It seemed like a good choice at the time. And now… It seems like the right choice. You can still decide otherwise, of course, but… I’d like you to stay. To keep me company. Getting my meals, too, yes, but also to talk… perhaps to venture out with me the next time I leave. I like that I have someone to teach. Think about it, please.”

The ichtysia had thought about it some days before, but at the time, they were still very mad at the rest of the merpeople for their treatment of them. Not that Crowley wasn’t still angry now. They got furious thinking of it every time, especially about the High Priest. Though, there was another part of them that missed the village. After all, it was where they grew up. The other ichtysia that were born from the same clutch were there, and they weren’t _that_ intolerable; and they indeed missed their little cave which they had decorated themself.

But compared to the life here with Aziraphale, and the endless amount of new things to discover from the god, the palace out-weighted everything. Besides, it was fun to have someone to converse with everyday, without them getting bored of Crowley’s questions. It also felt very nice, to wake up in another’s arms. This was something Crowley had never considered before. It was a new thing that the ichtysia thought they would love to have on a daily basis.

“Yes, Aziraphale, I’d like to stay,” Crowley beamed, and in the heat of the moment, pressed their lips together. They probably had become addicted to this ‘kissing’ thing.

Lucky for them, Aziraphale was eager to indulge. 

***

Three more days have passed, mostly in the libraries because the knowledge stored in Aziraphale’s library was vast, and Crowley just kept asking questions. Thankfully, the god never tired of them; he answered patiently, though sometimes he went off on a tangent and his explanations only raised more questions. 

He also did his best to court the ichtysia with both words and gifts; he found more jewelry with red stones and a few with blue ones that made a striking contrast with Crowley’s hair.

Much to Crowley's growing confusion.

Before, the ichtysia assumed it was hospitality. They were Aziraphale's guest, so it made sense that the god felt like gifting them with pretty rocks and accessories. What Crowley was confused about were the compliments. Each and every day, ever since they’d lain their eggs, Aziraphale would spoil them with praises. Somehow the god had decided that Crowley needed a constant reminder of how… beautiful they were.

It wasn't like the ichtysia hated it. No. Quite the contrary. They had never received so many compliments on a daily basis and appreciated Aziraphale's attention very much. But… why? Aziraphale wasn't trying to help them relax and deliver their eggs. He didn't have to anymore. Why was he still calling them 'pretty', or 'precious', or 'sweet little fish'. And those weren't even the most flattering ones.

Now the god was entangling their hair into interesting patterns. Aziraphale wanted to weave some blue jewelry into Crowley's hair but since it refused to stay still, he had suggested tying it up. 

“Thank the kind currents I’ve learned so many things,” Aziraphale murmured to himself. “Like how to knot and braid things. You should wear your hair like this most of the time… I mean, it’s beautiful when you let it free, but like this, it won’t get in your face at a sharp turn. There we go!” He tied the braid off with a bit of twine and deftly weaved a delicate sapphire necklace into it. He draped it over Crowley’s shoulder then picked up the mirror. “Take a look! Do you like it?”

Crowley was always amazed by how the images looked in the 'glass' - as Aziraphale called it. They just wanted to watch themselves doing things all day. The ichtysia beamed, stroking the braided hair on their shoulder, touching the new accessory Aziraphale had placed there with adoration.

"Very much!" They leaned forward and placed a peck on the deity's lips, as kissing had become quite a casual thing for the both of them.

"Thank you. I never thought of doing my hair like this. I mean, I could braid but these patterns are impossible to do myself without this human tool," said Crowley, moving back to continue checking themselves out in the mirror, spinning to look at all their sides.

Aziraphale simply watched them with a fond smile. “Your joy would be reason enough to go through the trouble of getting another mirror. Perhaps it’d be worth locating another wrecked ship and-” 

He couldn’t finish. An odd, chiming noise startled them; not too loud or jarring but impossible to ignore. Aziraphale’s eyes went wide and he placed the mirror down. “Who could it- Kind currents, hopefully not-” He swallowed thickly, glancing at Crowley with deep concern.

Crowley flinched back, startled by the noise that seemingly came out of nowhere. They moved closer to Aziraphale whilst glancing around warily. "W...what was that?" 

“It’s the alarm… It means that someone is trying to go through the barriers that protect the palace. Granted, some of them are a little further away… I just hope it’s not what I think it is.” Aziraphale took Crowley’s hand and squeezed it. 

“Come, my pearl. I can only shut it down in the center and maybe it’s just a curious youngster…” His smile was a little uneasy. “I wanted to show you the crystals anyway…”

They swam down to the underground level and entered a room that was protected by a magic barrier--not that Crowley actually bothered looking. The place was a little bit more cramped than the rest of the rooms, even more tightly packed than the library; however, instead of sheets of writing, this room had different crystals on the shelves. 

There was also a huge specimen in the middle, as tall as Aziraphale was. It was smooth and transparent, reflecting their faces back. An elaborate circular sign was etched into the ground around it; at certain points where lines crossed, tiny crystals shimmered in the light.

The chiming was louder here and Aziraphale settled down on the floor and began to tap at the tiny crystals. The noise soon died and the deity fixed his eyes at the large crystal that began to glow.

Crowley meanwhile was distracted by their surroundings, mouth gaping as they took in all the details of the crystal room. Part of them wanted to touch every single one of the beautiful items. The other part told them to stick to Aziraphale as close as possible. It sounded like an urgent matter. Besides, they didn't know if the god would get mad at them for meddling with these seemingly important objects.

They looked back at the large crystal where Aziraphale was when they felt a glow.

Soon, the reflection on the smooth surface faded and it was replaced by a different one; it showed a cave - the cave of worship, but the inner parts, not the main hall - and an ichtysia, who was poking the unseen barrier with a frown.

Aziraphale blinked. “Do you know them?”

Crowley squinted. It probably sounded crazy but they had forgotten there were other people existing outside of the palace. Seeing someone again was mildly surprising. What was even more shocking though was that _yes_ , they _did_ know this person.

"That looks like… Raphael," the ichtysia moved closer. "Can't mistake those white scales for anyone else's," said Crowley, their frown relaxed to a small smile, "she's a healer who has helped me a lot." They blushed, "I suppose I could call her my personal healer. The others gave up on me, so, uh..."

“Hmm.” Aziraphale ignored the jealous pang and touched a few more crystals. “Well, let’s learn why they are here.” He cleared his throat and spoke up on a clear, resounding voice. “You have come farther than most, healer. What is it that you seek?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From now on, expect two things: 1, a slight drop in quality and 2, more frequent updates!


	11. Chapter 6 Cover

Lineart by [CatofApocalypse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatofApocalypse/pseuds/CatofApocalypse), coloring by [OKami_hu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OKami_hu)


	12. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to our current beta, [AJ_Constantine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJ_Constantine/pseuds/AJ_Constantine); and also to [CandyQueenAO3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CandyQueenAO3/pseuds/CandyQueenAO3) and [WaldosAkimbo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaldosAkimbo/pseuds/WaldosAkimbo)!

Raphael let out a high pitched squeak, springing so fast out of view that Crowley thought she had bolted out of the cave. But then, the white-scaled ichtysia carefully crept back closer to the barrier.

“G-god?” she spoke shakily. She appeared to be mumbling something to herself. Something along the lines of _’hallucination’_ and _‘no way’_.

“Be not afraid, healer,” Aziraphale said, though he did roll his eyes in exasperation. “Your words will be heard. Speak and I shall listen.”

Raphael flinched again, before taking a deep breath to calm herself. The little twitch of her elegant tail indicated some repressed excitement, although Crowley could have sworn there was also a hint of fear in her eyes.

“Aziraphale the Almighty, the Merciful and Compassionate.” She clasped her hands together in a prayer. “Please forgive my intrusion. I-I’m just… I’m looking for...” She hesitated. Crowley couldn’t quite understand why until the other ichtysia spoke again.

“...my good friend.” A look of pain took over the usually bright and happy face Crowley remembered. “My friend, Crawly. Y-your sacrifice. I only wanted to give what’s left of them a proper funeral. I am sorry. Please forgive me, Lord.”

“... Oh,” Crowley mumbled. They had forgotten the whole reason why they were so scared of Aziraphale in the first place. They bit their lower lip and looked at the god to see what would happen.

Aziraphale sighed and glanced at Crowley. He really didn't want to do this, but he was determined to give them a choice. “Do you want to talk to her? I can let her pass the barriers, allow her into the palace. Suppose she’d like to see you in one piece…” Something occurred to him and he perked up a little. 

“Yes. Maybe if she knows you that well, then she might be of use. She does seem honestly pained by your apparent demise…” He chuckled. “Would you like to meet her?”

If there was any merperson Crowley thought they would miss, it was Raphael. And after hearing her reason for coming back to the cave, how could they deny it? Even if deep down they didn’t want to have more people in the palace. It was so perfect with just them and Aziraphale…

“Yes. I’d like to,” Crowley said and nodded. “I want her to know I’m alright.”

Aziraphale nodded and turned back to the crystal.

“Hear me, healer. You may come to me and see for yourself what became of your kith. Follow the path to my home and you shall get closure.” He quickly tapped at a few crystals then nodded to himself. “Advance,” he commanded, then put his hands on his hips. “Now, she’ll be able to pass all the barriers. It’ll take a while, we’re not close to the village. But, at least we have time for adjustments. I meant to do this…” He swam to one of the shelves and retrieved a tiny crystal. Then he paused. 

“Um- I would like to permanently set the system to allow you through, since I promised that you will never be held prisoner and on the off chance that something happens to me- I really wouldn’t like you to get trapped in the palace. You wouldn’t starve, but- well, yes. The problem is, that for this crystal to get attuned to you… we need your blood. Just a single drop, no more.”

Crowley turned to look at the deity from where he was watching the healer nervously moving forward and out of frame. They curiously swam close to look at the object in Aziraphale’s hand. “Just a drop? I can do that,” they said, grinning. They only ever had problems when it involved great pain. This sounded harmless. 

”How do you want me to do it? I could bite my finger,” said Crowley, raising a thumb.

“That’d work,” Aziraphale said, relieved. “Just pierce the skin and press the crystal against the wound. The crystal will absorb your blood and becomes a tiny version of you, so to speak. Once I place it into the array, you’ll be free to pass the barriers until the crystal is removed.”

The ichtysia did as they were told and pressed their finger on the shiny rock in Aziraphale’s hand. The sudden heat made Crowley pull their hand back and immediately put their finger in their mouth to soothe it, at the same time watching the crystal vibrate and morph into another shape. Its color darkened and became black with a tint of red.

“It worked, right?” asked Crowley, leaning so close their nose almost touched the item. It did look like a mini version of them. “Woah! How did it do that? How does all this work? Would it work on anything with blood? Fishes? Turtles?”

Aziraphale laughed. He inserted the crystal into the array; the lines flared up with a deep red light for a moment. “It’d work yes, though it’d have little use. I mean, if I befriended a fish or turtle, I’d keep them in the palace all the time, to protect them from predators. They’d have everything here… they aren’t hard to provide for. Unlike other species. Back in the day, I was entertaining the idea of having servants… They would have needed to pass the barriers, that’s why the feature was included in the system. As for how it works….” He paused, rubbed his chin with a contemplating look, then smirked.

“The crystals are very receptive to magic. Spells can be stored in them. Blood carries a creature’s essence, so with the right preservative spell and a drop of blood, a crystal can mimic a person’s- energy patterns. The array around the central crystal controls the entire barrier network; each blue crystal represents one, while the golden ones operate the sight and sound system. I included an exception array though - since the barriers are meant to keep out anything that does have blood, a special protocol is needed to let anyone pass in a more permanent manner. When I place the crystal representing you into that array, the barriers will automatically recognize you as one with pass permission. Are you following?”

Crowley nodded along slowly, mouth gaping in awe and slight confusion. They wanted to ask more, but didn't know where to begin. 

"This would be useful for keeping the monsters out. You should show the people in the village," he commented instead.

Aziraphale’s shoulders sagged somewhat. “Yes. It would be. And believe me, if it were in my power, I would’ve done that already… But it would be a tremendous task. The big crystal is a focus, it gathers mana - magical energy - and feeds it into the system. It suits my needs fine but it might not be powerful enough for something bigger. Building the barriers also requires a lot of work. Crystals have been placed out along the palace perimeter and I had to make sure they stay in place. If I were to protect the entire village, every single ichtysia should be able to pass through, that’s one crystal for every last one of them. Just setting up the exception array would take weeks and it’d be enormous; not to mention constantly changing. Even if you could do magic- then again, just the fact that you don’t doesn’t mean you’re _incapable_ of it, magic can be learned- but still. It would require a lot of teamwork, many ichtysia working together and your kind doesn’t have those tendencies. You’re more individualistic by nature.”

“You think I can learn magic?” Crowley asked eagerly, but then forced themselves to withdraw from the idea. “Though it's probably better suited for the High Priests. You chose them after all. Hm, yeah, I guess that makes sense. Would be great still I bet, seeing them do it. Ngk, we should go.” Their words slowly descended into soft mutters.

“Indeed, let’s meet your friend. What do you mean choose, I‘ve never- Well, not in a few hundred years.” Aziraphale shook his head slowly. “Maybe it’s past time I observed my chosen people a little more closely.”

“I thought you’ve been observing? Always?” Crowley blinked. “You see all, know all?” They really had no intention of shaming Aziraphale if it wasn’t true of course. It had been a thing they were preached about the Ichtysia God ever since they were a fry.

“I, uh, um. Well, I mean, I- have eyes everywhere-” Aziraphale stammered, flushing to a fetching shade. “I-it’s just that I, um. Don’t interfere. I do try to keep the monsters at a safe distance but I… really don’t need to spy on all of you all the time, now do I? That’d be embarrassing!” He laughed and it almost sounded sincere.

“You do really well on your own, and from time to time, I watch more closely but times change fast, new customs form and how you lead your own lives is not my concern.”

“Fair enough, I guess,” Crowley shrugged, “I wouldn’t want to know what the others are up to really. I saw enough from experience.”

The ichtysia blushed as well, remembering that one night where they got too curious for their own good in Aziraphale’s home. That was quite a sight. Crowley tried to ignore that thought and chuckled. “Not even when all the water was gone from the sea would I barge into Hastur’s place, ever again. It can be considered a childhood trauma on its own.”

“It seems like you always have been a curious little thing,” Aziraphale said with a hint of uncertainty. They reached the palace gates and entered the tunnels where they were to eventually run into the approaching Raphael.

***

Raphael crept along the tunnels carefully, staying close to the walls. She really hadn’t expected any of this. All she wanted was to see for herself what had happened to one of her dearest friends.

For the past few days, the healer had lived in guilt of her own cowardice. She did try to convince the rest of the villagers to reconsider the decision regarding Crawly. But when the option of whether she was willing to take their place was presented, the choice was... difficult. She didn’t even dare show up at the ceremony, not wanting to look the other ichtysia she called friend in the eyes.

She had hoped to at least find something that was left, perhaps a scale or… The thought of collecting bones made her shudder. Raphael had braced herself for that before coming into the cave. She knew it could be gruesome, but it was what she deserved for being a coward. She was ready to take on anything, as long as it meant giving Crawly a proper farewell. It was the least she could do.

But she was not ready for God to talk to her himself, nor the fact that she had now been invited in, to see for herself the result of her selfishness. The long swim through the tunnel was dreadful. Possibilities ran through her head, driving her crazy. More than once she had thought of bolting back outside, fearing what she might encounter, and fearing for her own safety. What if the god wanted to consume her as well?

Still, Raphael braved on. She was determined this time. 

And not once, in her thousands of ideas, did she think of seeing Crawly alive and well, looking even better than the last time they had met.

“C-Crawly?” she gasped, staring at the red haired ichtysia and the many pretty things they were wearing. And next to them was a soft merperson. That couldn’t be Aziraphale the Almighty, could it?

“Raphael!” Crowley swam over and held her hands. “You made it!”

“I-is it really… you? Crawly?” the healer asked in disbelief. “You’re not-”

“-dead?” the other ichtysia grinned in that bratty way they always did. “No! I thought I was, but no, Azirap-”

“Oh thank the kind currents!” Raphael exclaimed and pulled her friend into a squeezing hug, making the whining noise that the ichtysia did when they were upset. Her hands moved over the hair and backfins of Crawly, making sure this wasn’t a dream. “Praise God! You are alive! I would never have forgiven myself if you weren’t. I’m so sorry, Crawly!”

“It’s Crowley now,” Aziraphale spoke up, with a little pride. “No ichtysia shall bear their guardname once they come of age. My blessing is upon the one you hold in your arms, healer; be sure to let everyone in the village know.”

It was so easy to slip into the more formal manner of speech befitting a god. But for the first time, he felt a twinge of guilt about it. Well, a small twinge. He had an image to uphold after all. 

The two ichtysia stopped their little moment of spin hugging and looked back at the ‘Lord Almighty’.

Raphael was even more confused than when she had arrived. “Crowley? You changed your nam- Wait… Is that God?!” She gasped in shock. Earlier she had assumed this other person to be, um, not that. A gatekeeper, if she were to be honest. Aziraphale in her mind must have been too big to fit into this small tunnel, and definitely not as rounded.

“Uh, yeah, that’s Aziraphale,” Crowley shrugged with an awkward lopsided grin. “He’s nice.”

“No way…” She gasped softly, turning back to look at the deity properly, her short black hair swaying from the momentum. She swam closer to the seafloor and kept herself low. And before Crowley could stop her, she started reciting all the exaggerated titles their people had given Aziraphale.

“Please forgive me for not recognizing you, Lord Aziraphale, Guardian of the Eastern Water, Ruler of the Sea, Kind and Merciful, Fierce and Terrifying, the one who blesses the warm currents... It is an honor that neither one of us deserves, to be in your presence.”

“Please don’t,” Aziraphale replied, deadpan. ”Just ‘my Lord’ is fine.... But you are allowed to call me by my name. Rise, healer. Raphael, was it? Crowley spoke fondly of you and whoever they favor, I shall keep those in my favor as well. Now let us retreat to my palace. I actually have a few questions for you.” He beckoned the ichtysia with an elegant gesture. 

“Your bravery is commendable, not many dare to enter the tunnels. I trust you will be able to relay a message to the High Priest?” He gritted his teeth in annoyance. “Something along the lines that she shall remember the delicate difference between a ‘willing contribution’ and a ‘sacrifice’.”

While Raphael could argue against the praise of bravery, she kept her mouth shut and listened. Even though she hadn’t gotten the full picture yet, the ichtysia could feel the displeasure in Aziraphale’s words. And now she was concerned. Was the village in danger of the god’s wrath?

“I do hope she shall,” Crowley grumbled from behind her, “Or we’ll have to pay her a visit ourselves, but yes,” they took hold of her wrist and gently urged her along, “we should go inside, it’s warmer.”

Aziraphale swam gracefully at the front, not looking back at the others, as expected from a god. Now that they weren’t in a hurry, Crowley could behold the gates; and Raphael had never even seen them before. The structure was almost unnecessarily impressive, with tall, twisting pillars and a gentle arch. Beyond it, the corridor’s ceiling receded steeply, to a more proportional size. 

Aziraphale slowed down a little - he wasn’t used to entertaining guests in his home. He didn’t have any problems with the _entertaining_ part of course, but where should they sit down for a talk? He wasn’t keen on showing off the palace, the kitchen didn’t sound elegant enough, the crystal room was a secret… Maybe the gardens were going to have to do. 

Meanwhile, Crowley led the healer by the wrist and silently held back a giggle when they saw how stunned Raphael was. “Nice isn’t it?”

“Nice? This is amazing!” The white ichtysia broke her gaze from the surroundings, astonished. “You’ve been living here?”

“Yeah. Got a room and everything. I could show you later.”

Aziraphale smiled to himself at that. He located a clear spot in the garden and stopped there, gesturing around.

“You can talk here for the time being.” Then he paused. “I shall, ah. Go and see to my, uh, divine duties. However, I would like to speak to you later, healer Raphael.”

The white ichtysia was startled, not being used to God addressing her specifically yet. She bowed her head. “A-anything you ask of me, my Lord.” 

Crowley tilted their head. They wanted to ask what the divine duties were, seeing as they both weren’t doing anything important before this. But it wasn’t too important,asthey imagined _a god's got to do what he’s got to do._ They tugged a bit on Raphael’s arm with a grin. 

“It’s alright. No need for the formality.”

“But-”

“You’ll get used to it,” Crowley winked in Aziraphale’s direction. He smiled faintly and left.

“He’s so- normal looking,” Raphael whispered. “He’s so… soft! It’s not what they tell us!” She grabbed Crowley’s arm. “How is it that you’re alive? Tell me everything! I thought I would only find bones or scales- I’m so sorry, can you ever forgive me for just leaving you like that? I tried to speak up, I tried to, but then the High Priest said I could be the sacrifice and I-” She buried her face into her hands. “I was a coward…!”

Crowley wasn’t very good at dealing with distressed merfolk. They awkwardly held her shoulders and hoped that would give her some reassurance. “Hey, hey, it’s fine. It wasn’t your fault. I mean, nnh, I would have chosen not to die as well… ” the ichtysia tried their best to soothe their friend. “But uh, Aziraphale turned out to be really nice. Apparently, he didn’t want to eat anybody. He just wanted, um... “

The redhead blushed brighter than the color of their hair. “-to, um, lay his eggs.”

“What’s that to do with anything?” Raphael looked baffled. “You don’t need anyone to lay your eggs-” Her eyes widened as it dawned on her. 

“Oh, wait, he- he lays eggs in- others? But you-” Her eyes went even wider. 

“But you can’t even lay yours without being in pain for days…! Does it- work better the other way…?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Crowley grimaced, remembering how painful that was. “He didn’t get to do that either…” And then, remembering something exciting, the ichtysia gasped, “Oh, right. I need to tell you. Aziraphale fixed my condition! Well, not fix-fix, but he managed to help me with the eggs.”

Raphael made an uncertain gesture. “Yes…? Help how? He’s- Well, he’s a god, he could fix you if he wanted, yes-? Permanently?”

Now that was something Crowley hadn’t thought to ask. Could Aziraphale do that? They really should put that on the list of things they were curious about.

“Uhh, he mentioned nothing about that. Maybe?” Crowley frowned, but quickly dropped that topic. “Anyway, it turned out I only needed to relax more. And all of a sudden nothing hurt anymore!” They grinned. ”He just hugged me, like this.”

They demonstrated the hug on Raphael. “His body is warmer than ours. And he told me encouraging things. Somehow it got me all... loosened up.” They let go of the healer. “It still hurt at the start, but by the last egg I felt almost nothing. He used his mouth at some point… Uh… Well, he used his mouth a lot."

There were other things he did, new things, interesting things. Though, there was one thing Crowley thought worth showing Raphael.

“You see, I learned that there is this thing called a… kiss.” 

She rubbed her arms, flashing a shy smile at them. “I don’t even know when you hugged me last… our god does look like he’d be good at that. Not many ichtysia are so soft. I still can’t believe how he looks, so unassuming and- kind!” She huffed. “Alright, what’s a kiss?”

“It’s like… when you press your mouths together. There are different ways to do this as well, you can use your tongue or bite each other’s lips. He said it’s good to be creative with it. Um, actually, lemme show you how it’s done. Do you want that?”

Raphael looked skeptic. “Press our mouths together. That doesn’t sound like much, but- sure? You look excited about it, so there has to be something to it.” She tipped her chin forward. “There you go.”

“Alright.” Crowley was grinning from ear to ear. They were eager to show how good it was. Hopefully Raphael would feel the same about it.

Crowley held the sides of her face with both hands, gentle like how Aziraphale would have done, thumb brushing the other ichtysia’s cheeks. “You should close your eyes. I think it feels better that way,” they said before bringing their lips together.

They kissed gently and slowly at first, then out of habit, Crowley intensified the kiss, slipping their tongue inside the healer’s mouth. They brought a hand down to Raphael’s waist and pulled her closer. It didn’t feel as good as when they had done it with the god, but it was probably, _hopefully_ , close enough.

At first, Raphael tensed up. It was just so different and new, but- Crowley’s lips against hers didn’t feel too bad… But then a tongue entered her mouth and that was really weird again - until she cautiously tried to mimic the movements and -

It was not a sudden, eye-opening experience, but as the seconds flowed past, she realized that it wasn’t bad at all. Actually, it was sort of… nice. The way their tongues entwined vaguely reminded her of something and she unconsciously pushed closer, shuddering when Crowley’s hands settled on her waist. This was definitely nice. 

She curled her arms around their shoulders and experimentally tipped her head to the side. That only made things better and she made a tiny sound in the back of her throat, relaxing. She playfully pushed her tongue back and it slipped past rows of teeth, into Crowley’s mouth and finally, it clicked. This kissing thing was rather reminiscent of mating, wasn’t it…? Especially with the hugging, so tightly that their bellies brushed together, the closeness warming her up, making her shift her hips; she could feel Crowley’s frontal fin caressing her, just like when-

She tore her head away, grabbing her friend’s shoulder and staring at them in alarm.

“We shouldn’t be doing this…!” 

It was a surprise, and not a positive one. Crowley thought she was enjoying it this whole time, judging by the way she responded. They frowned, confused. “You don’t like it?”

“I do! I like it, it’s good, I’m glad you showed me but- but-” She dropped her head on their shoulder with a groan. “It makes me want to visit the temples! It’s too good, it makes me hot and we can’t just- he- Lord Aziraphale forbade it…!”

“B-but he doesn’t-” Crowley tripped on their words, feeling there was something they were overlooking, “I mean, he does it, and let me do it… What do the temples have to do with this?”

Raphael narrowed her eyes, exasperated. “All of the tongue thing and the hugging makes me want to mate with you, you sea cucumber…!” She glanced away. “I would’ve chosen you at the mating dance. It’s just, you were in so much pain, so I never mentioned. But mating outside the mating dance is forbidden, isn’t it? That’s why we have the temple servants to help us if we have urges.” She shot a dark look at the palace. “I could never understand why it was forbidden. It’s so stupid!”

Oh. So that was what it was.

The water was finally clear for Crowley. Mating. Was that what it was? All the things he and Aziraphale helped each other with? Even the kissing? Crowley turned away, biting into the back of a finger to hold back whatever sound that was threatening to escape. 

They had held Aziraphale's penetrator, in a way similar to the temple servants. Why hadn't they thought of that? The ichtysia's body reddened as the current took their mind away.

“Crowley? You’re changing colors. Hey. Hey? You still here?” Raphael waved a hand in front of their face. “You have this ‘sudden revelation’ look. Want to talk about it?” 

Crowley made a series of incoherent noises, then turned to the healer. "Raphael… ngh.. I think, ugh.. I've been… I've become… god's temple servant. I didn't even think of that but now it all makes sense. I thought we were just helping each other with the eggs but… " they paused a moment to process again, "there were other things… we made each other feel good. With our mouths… uh… on our egg holes..."

Then another term flashed through their head. "Our mating holes!" gasped Crowley, feeling dumb as a jellyfish. A very embarrassed, red one.

“Is- that why he kept you?” Raphael asked quietly. “He brought you here for a purpose and you couldn’t fulfill that and he still kept you - is that why? So you could pleasure him?” She remembered how adamantly Crowley kept refusing to become a temple servant - the only role that was suitable for them. 

"I… don't know," Crowley worried their teeth over their lip. Was that true? Was Aziraphale keeping them because they could help him feel good? Crowley had always hated the idea of being someone's tool. Being a temple servant was a similar sort of thing. The other ichtysias would be nice when they ask to be serviced, but outside of that, still treat them like a piece of discarded kelp.

Although, the ichtysia was confused. If they were supposed to be Aziraphale's temple servant, it really didn't feel that way.

"He said I could go out anytime. But," they stroked the jewelry in their hair, "do you think that's really what he wanted?"

“I don’t know,” Raphael sighed, curling her hands around Crowley’s. “You are a capable ichtysia, you can care for yourself as much as any of us, but… you can’t carry his eggs. And you look so lovely with these shiny stones. He’s a god- why would he try to keep you here if not for _some_ purpose?” She leaned closer. “Come back to the village. Others miss you, too… I know that a lot of the people looked down on you but not all, and you belong with us, with the- living.”

“But… he…” Crowley bit their lower lip again, slightly torn by these thoughts -both knowing there were some people who wanted them back, and that there could have been other motives for Aziraphale to be nice to them. Still, the ichtysia didn’t think Raphael should be assuming things about the god. In the end, Crowley did want to stay here, where they were treated better than they ever were at the village.

“I think he’s not like that. I mean, it doesn’t seem like he is. He gave me all these nice stones, and taught me new things. He wanted me to help him with his eggs, and I did. So, there was no reason he’d still do these nice things for me, right?” they reasoned, more to convince themselves than Raphael. “I’ll consider it. But I don’t think I want to see that smug bastard of a High Priest again. She definitely would try to offer me to a sea monster the next time anyway. And really, I’m glad that some of you do want me, but I would have appreciated it more if they had said _anything_ before thinking I was dead. Aside from you, of course.”

“Well… you’re right about that,” Raphael admitted. “I just want to be sure that you’ll be all right now that I know you weren't eaten. Still, would you come back to the village, just for a day? If you can come and go as you please, then you should visit. To show them that you’re alive. Laugh the High Priest in the face.” She chuckled. “All your belongings are still where you left them, if you need any of it, you can pick them up.”

Crowley thought about it. The possibility of taunting Beelzebub was very inviting. She had been such a pufferfish ever since becoming the High Priest. All spiked up to scare everybody, though to Crowley it was nothing but a bluff. It would be nice to see her freak out for a moment.

“That’s… actually not a bad idea. Just for a day,” their expression spread into a big grin. “You think I could tell her the Lord wanted her for a snack? That would be hilarious.”

“I don’t think you should be pushing it, but you never listen,” Raphael laughed, gently shoving Crowley. “You wanted to show me your place. Also, if the Lord wants to talk to me, we definitely shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

Crowley laughed along and shoved back gently, pushing a fist on her shoulder. “Ah right, I wanted to show you my sleeping nest,” said the ichtysia. “Though, didn’t he tell us to stay here?” they muttered, but then shrugged and wrapped an arm around Raphael’s shoulder. “But you’re right, I never listen.”

They laughed again and Crowley held the healer’s hand in theirs again as they pulled her along eagerly. “Follow me!”

***

Raphael was rather impressed - she had a place smaller than what was given to Crowley. All the pretty stones captured her attention, too, and she quite liked when Crowley clasped a necklace around her throat. 

“Am I pretty? Does it suit me?” She demanded with a grin. “The stones are so bright! This thing must be very precious. Is it magical?”

“Unfortunately no,” Crowley chuckled. “It’s something Aziraphale got from the land dwellers. He called them ‘humans’.” They swam around to the front of Raphael and adjusted the accessories on her neck. “I think blue and white goes together quite well. But if you want to see for yourself, hmm…”

Maybe Aziraphale wouldn’t mind them borrowing the mirror. After all it was for this purpose. As long as they returned it intact…

“Wait here, I’ll be right back,” Crowley guided the healer to sit down on the nest and bolted out of the room.

After several minutes, they came back with the deity’s reflective glass. “You can see yourself with this. It’s also from the humans.” They smiled widely, but then it faded into a nervous wince. “It’s very precious to him, so uh, don’t touch it, alright? I’m already taking it without permission. I don’t want him to get mad.”

They raised the object to Raphael, showing her the image of herself wearing the sapphire neckwear.

“If you have no permission to touch it, then- _oh by the kind currents_ …!” Raphael pressed both her hands over her mouth and stared at the reflection. “Is… Is that me? That’s what I look like?” She reached out as if in a trance, but shied away from touching the glass. 

“It’s so clear! You can see yourself in polished things and the eyes of others but- never like this! This is a miracle. How did the land-dwellers do this?” She leaned closer, studying her face from both sides. “I don’t even have the words. This is really something else. Be very careful with it, the Lord would eat you for real if you broke it.”

"Yeaaah…" Crowley awkwardly chuckled "Better get this back to the treasury. Oh, would you like to see it as well? Where I got all these things from?"

After all, the treasury wasn't a secret right? Maybe Aziraphale would be fine with that. They were just going to let Raphael take a quick look, then they would be going back to the garden like nothing happened. But really, they just wanted to show their good friend all the wonderful things.

"Is that allowed?" Raphael squinted suspiciously.

"Just a quick glance for you when I put this back, then we get back out immediately." 

The healer shrugged. "If you think it’s alright."

"Great! Follow me." 

Crowley jerked their head and led the way to the treasury where Aziraphale kept the mirror.

There were still a few things out and about on the table in the middle and Raphael pawed at them, cautious but excited.

“How did the Lord get so many things, it must have taken ages to collect…!”

“That’s very true. Perhaps it explains why I’m somewhat possessive of them.” 

The two ichtysia looked up in alarm. Aziraphale loomed in the doorway, arms folded, looking at the mirror in Crowley’s hands pointedly.

“I asked you not to touch it,” he said coolly. 

Raphael threw herself on the ground by the god’s tentacles. “Please don’t punish them, Lord Aziraphale, I asked them to see!”

“And they decided to obey your demand instead of my request,” Aziraphale murmured, still looking at Crowley. “If you just asked, I’d have let you look at it. When have I told you no?”

Crowley held the mirror closer to their chest, half trying to keep it from being damaged, half wanting to just cover as much of themselves as possible. Their skin changed to a more reddish color again, out of embarrassment. They hadn’t expected Aziraphale to finish whatever he was doing so soon. But then again, they had no idea what the deity was doing anyway.

They bit their lip and glanced between Raphael and the god. “I didn’t want to… disturb your divine… duties,” they spoke, almost too faint to hear. “But it was my idea. I did it on my own. She has nothing to do with it. I just wanted to show how fitting the blue rocks look on her. M’sorry… I- I’ll put it back, right away.”

“Be careful with it,” Aziraphale said softly, then looked at Raphael. “Rise, healer. No damage was done. Except maybe to my trust. No punishment shall befall on either of you.”

Raphael pulled herself up, timidly inching back towards Crowley. 

“Now, if I may command your attention for a while,” Aziraphale went on, “as you are most familiar with my guest, I’d like to ask your opinion on their condition. And, I have something you might be quite interested in. If you two would follow?” He gestured towards the door.

“Granted, it might be a gruesome sight, if you can’t take it, feel free to leave. But it’s educational.”

Crowley was in the middle of placing the mirror on its usual display when they heard the god’s word and turned their head. “G-gruesome?” asked the ichtysia, their face going a tad pale, “What kind of gruesome?”

“You can stay behind if you’re scared,” giggled Raphael.

“M’not scared!” Crowley hissed, cheek flushing. 

“You should be,” Aziraphale grinned and despite how menacing the words sounded, it helped to ease the mood. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, we realized that the story roughly divides to three 'seasons', and chapter 9 is the end of the first! So prepare for some intense emotions. >3 Also, a fun fact: OKami adores TVtropes, so if you spot one of them in this fic, point them out! It'd be fun to see which ones we used.


	13. Chapter 7 Cover

Lineart by [OKami_hu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OKami_hu), coloring by [CatofApocalypse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatofApocalypse/pseuds/CatofApocalypse) & [OKami_hu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OKami_hu)

Greetings, old and new readers! =D After a long hiatus, it's time to pick up posting again! I have stated this several times in comment replies, but I'm going to reassure everyone again: this story is FINISHED. It's completed, whole, the chapters only await some beating, and of course, the chapter cover arts. Unfortunately, the pandemic didn't go easy on Vivi, who lost her job; if you'd like to, definitely look into supporting her! Her [Twitter](https://twitter.com/catofapocalypse) will tell you how. There were also a couple of projects we've been involved like various zines, but we're relieved to announce that regular posting is going to resume from now on. We loved to write this story, and we're going to share it with you up until the final conclusion. Thank you for all your kind words, concerns, and support, and if you haven't done it already, subscribe to this story - that way, you'll get a handy e-mail once something new is posted. 

The chapter itself will be posted next week. Stay tuned! 


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